I think this was incredibly brave of her, particularly given the way the media frequently treats both rape survivors and sex workers, let alone those who are both.

Well, I heartily second that.

I just found out about this case (addressed here: Gee, why is it women and youth in the sex trade won’t trust law enforcement*?) and really appreciate your covering it. Howat’s pursuit of the charges (even though unsuccessful, from what I’ve gathered) is something heroic to me. I wish her strength.

BTW, any further news on this case? Like, as to whether the assailant/police recruit in question will get to return to his career? One article I found – dated August 9th – said that he would “still face an internal tribunal to determine his future” – but I haven’t been able to find out anything else, since.

Leaving aside the way in which her credibility was cast doubt on because she was a sex worker, and the way the justice system is stacked against women who have been raped, I dont think many people believe that people do not get found not guilty of crimes they did commit. The fact that, for whatever reason, the jury was of the opinion that there wasnt enough evidence to prove he did it does not mean that he didnt.

(Please excuse my punctuation – Im using a foreign keyboard)

But yeah, when ’survivor’ feels appropriate for women that’s great. Otherwise I write ‘women who have been raped’ – because we are women before we are raped, and I think that phrase, although clumsy catches the acted upon nature.

RE: the sexual assault comments though – the problem for me is not the association between ’sex’ and rape – because I still believe that rape is what it is because too many men sexualise power, so sex IS intrinsic to rape. The problem for me is that sexual assault makes it sound like just another kind of assault. And of course rape is violence….but I think the fulcrum of male power rests on male appropriation of women’s sexuality…so I don’t believe rape is just another kind of violence. I believe it is more fundamental than that. A kind of defining act of male oppression or something. A refuge for men who cannot be as powerful as they believe they have the right to be – and who become that powerful through rape precisely because they find that sexually exciting. A choice to be powerful in that instant, at that time. Or over those hours of planning beforehand. Mm.

Depressing.

Anyway, thanks for the post – words fail me often too – especially when I am trying to write respectfully and with truth.

Do they need a clue? If a woman walking alone is attacked, it’s not the woman who was the problem.

I’ve thought a lot about the problems of ’survivor’ as well. Is it putting more pressure on women who have been raped. There’s this idea that there’s something shameful in the term ‘victim’ – I’m not sure that we shouldn’t be fighting that rather than accepting it. There should be nothing shameful in being victimised. Not that I’d force that label on anyone, as you say. More that we should question why it’s seen as problematic.

So often in the last few days I haven’t had any words either.