Activist, writer, sex-positive feminist, single mother, sandgroper, grumpy old woman.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

When is a rape not a rape?

The woman told the court that he pushed her head into the pillow, started suffocating her and had unprotected sex against her will. In his evidence, the accused admitted to using a "lock-down manoeuvre" to pin the woman to the bed when she said she wanted to stop and that "After so much of her screaming, I did muffle her mouth with my hand".

She claims he took the condom off and had unprotected sex with her, which he denies. But he coughed to pretty much everything else. He continued having sex with her after she'd withdrawn her consent...that's sexual assault. He put her in a headlock and covered her mouth when she screamed...that's aggravated sexual assault. She had scratches and bruises after the attack...that's aggravated sexual assault occasioning bodily harm. Not to mention assault of the non-sexual variety, threatening behaviour, deprivation of liberty, etc.

The accused did most of the prosecution's work for them. The woman's story was supported by the perpetrator's own evidence. The jury had their decision handed to them on a plate. So how, pray tell, did the pack of idiots still manage to find this piece of excrement NOT GUILTY?

When is a rape not a rape? When it happens in a brothel.

Maybe they think it's her own fault for putting herself in that position. Maybe they wanted to teach her a lesson. Maybe they think he bought her body, so he's entitled to do what he wants with it. Maybe they think rape is just part of the job description. Maybe they think whores are perverts and deviants, so she probably enjoyed it. Maybe they think whores are dead inside, so she probably wasn't hurt by it. Maybe they simply didn't believe her story, because whores lie.

Or maybe, like many people, they just thought the whole idea of a sex worker saying 'NO' to intercourse was ridiculous. I remember some of the horrifying reader comments on news sites when the story first hit the papers...

"Oh, please. Theft of services, maybe. But raping a prostitute? What did she think she was there for?"

"She's just trying to get money out of him. He probably just ripped her off or something. This will never make it to court".

"Hope she charged him extra for the kinky B&D stuff".

"A hooker crying rape? LOL Now I've heard it all".

When is a rape not a rape? When you rape a whore.