Indian Rape

Just watched the BBC news. Huge crowds protesting. Good.

My daughter passed on something really bizarre that has been suggested in South Africa to fight back against rapists. It's a sort of feminine condom that is constructed with internal 'teeth' at its opening. At first, I thought it was a scam, but apparently young women are pushing for it to to be developed. It comes from the idea that trapping sensitive penises in zips is excruciating and this will deter rapists. I can see lots of pitfalls, and I'm sure others will, too, but shows how desperate the prevalence of sexual assaults in South Africa has become.

And if there was more than one man involved [or even if there was only one man] would the victim be murdered instead? I can't believe that women have to consider using such extreme measures to stop this happening to them. Mind you, I think I saw a programme that pointed out that it wasn't just women that were in danger, but young boys also. Terrible.

Dreadful, yes. But I can't see why it's getting quite so much prominence on the radio and tv in this country.

Anyone got figures on the actual rate of conviction here?

This is NOT something that only happens elsewhere........

Actual rates of conviction here are said to be rising, but haven't seen them published yet Alie. In the 80s and 90s, one in a hundred reported rapes resulted in a conviction. That's for every ten reported rapes, only one was taken forward by the CPS, and of those, one in ten led to a conviction! That's the ones we knew about. How many times that went unreported?

The USA and Canada started publicly naming alleged perpetrators who had been reported previously, and the character of the victim was not allowed to be shredded in court, specialist lawyers took all the sexual assault cases, and convictions rose. Gradually, these methods are being adopted here and convictions are now rising accordingly. So is the incidence of men claiming they have a sleep-rape problem, as one or two cases got acquittals on those grounds. I heard recently that cases that get into court are now more likely to result in a conviction than not. We still need to see the figures, though.

It's patchy, across the UK rape prosecution rates vary. See below if interested

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14844985

I didn't mean rape doesn't happen here. I meant why would we be that interested in something that happened in India. This didn't take place on the No 37 bus route to Wilminster.

Unfortunately, these national figures are averages, and don't come from the routine National Crime Survey stats, but the CPS. The higher conviction rates are dependent on local detection and prosecution methods. Sean Baxter's Lincolnshire pilot has shown what can be achieved, but resources aren't yet in place across England and Wales. Police and CPS cuts could yet jeopardise progress. It would be good to see some helpful quality comparisons, including length of sentence, offender treatment completed and reconviction rates, which the Crime Survey produced by the Home Office should bring out when they get their act together.

Perhaps not JO but I remember this case below when I lived 'up north' and no passénger intervened.

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/04/16/police-quiz-teenagers-after-train-sex-attacks-100252-20771563/

Think Global Village, jings, and then you might understand. Also, I think international outrage can make a difference to perceptions – particularly in a fast-changing country such as India is at present.

Would you ask why all the fuss if it was children starving in Ethiopia that was being reported?

A young girl was raped in the daytime in a loo in an Oxford Sainsbury's, not that long ago.

I'm actually trying to say that this is a worldwide shame - and that in ALL countries there are things in common in the way women are treated!

Read this by a Dehli woman. Women need effective laws to deal with awful men.

Telling it like it really is but again I ask what will change? This article makes it ben clear how hard change will be - however I did find it interesting that she said Delhi was so terrible compared with other cities.

Hmmm - good(ish) point Bags. But we can do something positive about the starving kids.

JO5 did I read right - 'why would we be that interested in something that happened in India as it isn't the 37 bus'!!!! Also something about starving children - there are thousands but not relevant to this thread at this moment.
As Bags said be aware of the 'Global Village' - the rape and death of this young woman does concern us - it is the tip of an iceberg of the amount of rapes suffered by women and children throughout the world.
Highlighting this case means that the somewhat corrupt police in India have to stop ignoring reported cases. It also points out that women here are raped daily and are too frightened to report it because they feel the police won't take them seriously.

You could always try reading my posts properly then you might not feel the need to precis them incorrectly dorsetpent

Thanks for this link B. I feel outraged that this cultural behaviour towards women in Delhi is so endemic.

It really is important that this issue is highlighted, and in doing so will keep it in the public eye, and I hope that the beginnings of a cultural shift will occur.

I often struggle with the concept of imposing one's own cultural attitudes onto those of another country, but with this particular aspect of Indian culture, I have no qualms.

......we don't have any of this here?

Alie. I'm not sure if your comment referred to mine. In that I was responding specifically to B's previous link.
Anyway, in answer to your comment - See my thread on Rape Crisis Centers in UK.

Surely by keeping this in the international public eye it may mean that the Indian government will act more swiftly to protect women.

I have just read about the "two finger rape test" used by many doctors in India. The doctor inserts two fingers in the victims vagina to ascertain whether she was a virgin or sexually experienced. Whilst the victim should consent to this test many doctors carry it out without the victim knowing she can refuse. To do this to someone who is already feeling violated is horrendous.