Rape Cases

The notion that rape is not the woman’s fault is commonly cited. Women who have been raped are repeatedly told that it was the rapist’s responsibility and not her own. Yet, in the four rape cases that we discussed, two of the victims are blamed and the rapists themselves receive very little culpability. In the Greg Haidl case, the victim was a young seventeen-year-old. She is not even considered an adult, yet many consider the rape to be her fault because she acted “promiscuously.” Because she was a female who had engaged in sexual activities prior to the rape, many do not entirely believe that she was actually raped. The lack of consent is negated by the fact that she was sexually active and consequently perceived as a slut. Similarly, in the Kobe Bryant case, the victim was accused of having sex immediately after the rape. This accusation implies that the woman was loose and willing to have sex with anyone, thus calling into question the issue of consent.

The fact that the women – the victims who were put in situations that they objected to – receive the blame is unfair. The females’ sexual history is called into question and becomes a factor in these cases, while the male rapists’ sexual records are entirely ignored. The media does not focus on whether the men had sex right before or after these rapes, yet that seems more relevant than the females’ history. If the men were sleeping with many women at the time, it would seem more likely that the men are used to or expect consent. Thus, they may have not fully belief the lack of consent when it was received, adding a different aspect to the case. However, none of this is addressed. Instead, the female victims are analyzed, and their actions are scrutinized. While they should be receiving care for their traumatizing rape, these women are inflicted with insults and blame. The double standard for the way men and women are treated should change.