Has it been two hours yet? Time flies when your having fun. Understand that the history of female safety at York University hasn't exactly been squeaky clean. A few isolated incidences here and there mostly concerning a sexually based crime. Excerpt from the Excalibur:
On Jan. 24, a campus safety information session was held at Osgoode Hall, where members from York security and two male officers from Toronto police 31 Division handed out safety tips to community
members.
...
“One of the safety tips was for women not to dress like ‘sluts.’ He said something like, ‘I’ve been told I shouldn’t say this,’ and then he uttered the words,” said Bessner, Osgoode assistant dean of the Juris Doctor Program. “I was shocked and appalled. I made contact with the police [...] and we’ve asked for a written apology and an explanation.”
That this comment comes from a law enforcement officer raising the issue of culpability on the part of the victim (ie. blame the victim) seems to demonstrate a deficient understanding of the complexities of the matter among the people who are supposed to 'protect and serve' us. It is a blatant disregard for the several other factors that give impetus for sexual crimes (yes maybe I watch too much Law and Order). The comment is an insensitive remark about the presupposed ''promiscuity'' of the victim and that, for all purposes, 'she got what was coming.' That this happened in a law-oriented educational institutional makes it an even bigger slap in the face.
But if even the legal system fails us where can we go? Read this on protesters marching against Justice Dewar's ruling on a rape case:
Dewar convicted Thompson resident Kenneth Rhodes of sexually assaulting the 26-year-old victim 4 1/2 years ago. Dewar rejected a Crown recommendation Rhodes be sentenced to at least three years in prison and instead granted him a conditional sentence.
Dewar said the victim and a friend were dressed in tube tops and high heels when they met Rhodes and another man outside a bar "and made it publicly known that they wanted to party."
Rhodes, Dewar said, had the mistaken belief "sex was in the air" and a "heightened expectation" that sex would occur.
But if even the legal system fails us where can we go? Read this on protesters marching against Justice Dewar's ruling on a rape case:
Dewar convicted Thompson resident Kenneth Rhodes of sexually assaulting the 26-year-old victim 4 1/2 years ago. Dewar rejected a Crown recommendation Rhodes be sentenced to at least three years in prison and instead granted him a conditional sentence.
Dewar said the victim and a friend were dressed in tube tops and high heels when they met Rhodes and another man outside a bar "and made it publicly known that they wanted to party."
Rhodes, Dewar said, had the mistaken belief "sex was in the air" and a "heightened expectation" that sex would occur.
2 comments:
This makes me so angry. It is disgusting that anyone would blame a rape victim. I hope they got an apology out of the police officer? Ugh, there are so many things wrong with this...
OT: I really enjoy your blogs!
Hej Fiona thanks so much for the comments! Im glad you liked it. AND surprise surprise the officer who uttered these words did apologise (you can find an article on it here:http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/303821). Nonetheless, I don't think that this should cover the fact that this should NEVER have crossed his mind to utter out in the first place. Its a sad state of affairs emphatic of how far the promiscuous 'female image' has permeated our society.
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