Many of you will be aware of the story in the news this week of a barrister and judge branding a 13 year old girl predatory.
The young girl in question had gone back to a 41 year old males home where a sexual offence was committed. Much was said about how she instigated the situation and how "sexually experienced" she was. Not so much was said about how the male already possessed child pornography and images of bestiality.
He walks away with an 8 month suspended sentence.
So now it seems that apparently our justice system is willing to turn a blind eye to child abuse as long as the victim is deemed as willing.
One woman trying to defend the courts decision and language attempted to twist things further by using the argument "what if the male had learning disabilities?"
Personally I imagine if he had then the case would have been handled appropriately and in a different manner, however he didn't and it shouldn't even have factored in the discussion.
Its a sad fact that our children are living in a world where outside influences are trying to sexualise them earlier and earlier.
Its even sadder that it now seems our judicial system is giving the go ahead for one big free for all amongst paedophiles where there are no real consequences and victims are the ones blamed.
I work with women on a daily basis who have been sexually abused, assaulted and raped.
I have yet to meet one that doesn't blame themself or feel that the crime committed was only done so because they somehow deserve it.
The general consensus amongst the women themselves is that if you sex work then those things are expected to happen.
It never fails to a made me when people aj if its actually possible to rape a prostitute.
People in the sex industry are not the only ones where the blame for rape seems to be placed on the victims.
We have heard numerous cases where survivors have been told that there will be no charge or conviction because the clothes they were wearing were too provocative, that they were too drunk or that they should have screamed louder or struggled more.
Last year the republican candidate Todd Akin decided to announce that legitimate rape didn't cause pregnancy "If it is legitimate rape the female body has ways to shut that whole thing down" a comment made where the evidence came from Nazi torture experiments, but that was believed by plenty of people.
The same can be said for the fact that there are those that still believe you can "Ask for it" and that a young child can be deemed as a predator.
I refuse to live in a world where rape culture is allowed to flourish and that the men and women that survive these crimes and have to live with the consequences are made to feel that they are to blame.
For every 100 rapes reported only 7 are convicted. The other 93 walk free.
It is time to make a stand and try and change perceptions.
Across the world every year there are protests where survivors unite alongside people with the same views and march to take back the term slut and argue that no one asks for it.
These slutwalks have faced controversy and criticism however I strongly believe that if it opens peoples eyes to the legitimisation of rape then they are doing something right.
For more information please check out the links below.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk
http://slutmeansspeakup.org.uk/
Blog by https://twitter.com/Bad_kitteh12
