Alleged Rape Research Articles

Framing feminist protest: a content analysis of the glitter revolution

ABSTRACT Feminist groups in Mexico City started a mobilization in August 2019 that would later be called the Glitter Revolution. The protest was a reaction to the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl by four policemen. The protest earned the name after one of the protestors showered Mexico City’s chief of police with pink glitter while he was trying to address activists and reporters. A second protest turned violent, and one of Mexico’s best-known landmarks was defaced by protesters who covered it in graffiti with signs reading “Mexico feminicide,” and “rapists.” This paper engages with literature on the protest paradigm and feminist theories to conduct a qualitative content analysis of news coverage of the two protests. This research shows how: 1) news stories by mainstream media adhere to the protest paradigm deploying a marginalizing framing device to cover the feminist protests; 2) heavy reliance on official sources and information is still prevalent in mainstream news, reinforcing official narratives and discourses; 3) the emergence of new frames that assign more value to historical monuments than to women’s access to justice; 4) and alternative news provided different frames such as feminist movement/activism and gender violence to contextualize the protests.

“A Woman, With No Evidence, Can Send Any Man to Jail Whenever She Wants”: Men’s Rights Activists’ Digital Narratives of a Culture of False Rape Allegations

A dominant narrative among men’s rights activists (MRAs) is that rape culture does not exist. Despite statistical evidence that men are more likely to be sexually assaulted than wrongfully accused of assault, false rape allegations are the most frequently discussed topic on MRA forums and websites. In this study, we analyzed comments about false rape allegations posted to r/MensRights, a popular MRA forum. Just as the larger MRA movement emerged as a reactionary counterbalance to a feminist movement that MRAs believe has purportedly achieved equality, we found that MRAs construct a culture of false rape allegations to counterbalance a purportedly non-existent rape culture. Using a grounded theory approach to examine the narratives deployed by MRAs, we discovered that these men construct what we call a “compensatory culture of injury.” We found that MRAs are driven by “aspirational oppression,” which we theorize as a sense of grievance surrounding a group’s diminishing privilege and desire to achieve the guise of subjugation that warrants reparations to restore the status quo in the ostensible pursuit of fairness and equality. This co-optation of victimhood may be challenged by structural conversations about gender as well as the explicit identification of the misogynistic nature of MRA narratives.

A gendered security dispositif: Mobilizing gender in Mexico City

This article concerns the security governance of gender in Mexico City. It begins by juxtaposing the alleged rape of a 17-year-old female by security officials against the policy responses that ensued: policies designed to make it safer for women to navigate dangerous streets. The article explores this radical turnaround: how an episode in violent opposition to security governance would ultimately sustain its implementation. It does so through what is called a gendered security dispositif – a dispositif consistent with the original formulation of Michel Foucault, albeit configured to an official account of gender-based violence that is confined to women. A gendered security dispositif renders a violent event intelligible to government by locating it in existing statistical and surveillance technologies, thereby reducing the alleged rape to citywide rates of violence and areas of high risk. Policy initiatives then target these high-risk areas, as practices of subjectification turn on the behavior of female inhabitants. The result is an official appreciation of gender-based violence that reduces the very matter of a violent event and its female victim to an administrative plane. What began as an episode contrary to security governance opens onto the production of gender and security in a manner derivative of rule.

준강간에서 피해자가 음주 후 수면 중 심신상실 또는 항거불능의 탐색

This study explores the criteria for determining whether a victim of a sexual crime was in a state of mental loss or unable to resist due to intoxication and sleep at the time of the alleged rape by the defendant. To this end, this paper reviewed literature and court cases regarding Quasi-Rape. Academically, blackout and passing out are significantly mentioned in relation to alcohol consumption, whereas in court cases, the focus is often on whether the victim's mental state during sleep after drinking, which is not unconsciousness but a weakened or incomplete state of consciousness, constitutes an inability to resist. However, recent Supreme Court rulings highlight that in cases where time has passed and the victim later claims to have been in a state of inability to resist, the judge must make a highly logical judgment based on a comprehensive review of various evidences, including not only the victim's statement but also the defendant's. In conclusion, first, there exists a factual difference in perspective on attempted rape cases depending on the judge's gender, and even though the judge's decision is logical, it can still be subjective, indicating a need for the development of objective measures for mental loss or inability to resist. Second, it is appropriate for the prosecution or court to request expert analysis of statements, considering both the victim's and the defendant's statements. Third, more specific legal standards are needed for the ‘significantly difficult situation’ in the case of inability to resist. Fourth, since most attempted rape cases involve the victim alleging rape and the defendant alleging consensual sex, it appears necessary to typify the patterns of rape and consensual sex from a gender-equality perspective and provide judges with additional criteria for judgment.

Perceptions of the freezing response of male and female rape victims, and the moderating role of rape myth beliefs

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether indicating victims of sexual attacks actively resisted their attacker or froze during their assault affected perceptions of victim blame, perpetrator blame and seriousness of the crime. We also tested whether victim and perpetrator gender or participants’ rape myth endorsement moderated the outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis study was a cross-sectional, vignette survey study with a 2 × 2 between-participants experimental design. Participants read a mock police report describing an alleged rape with a female or male victim who either resisted or froze, while perpetrator gender was adjusted heteronormatively.FindingsFreezing and male victims were blamed more than resisting and female victims. Perpetrators were blamed more when the victim resisted, but male and female perpetrators were blamed equally. Seriousness of the crime was higher for male perpetrators and when the victim resisted. Female, but not male, rape myth acceptance moderated the relationship between victim behaviour and outcome variables.Originality/valueThis study highlights the influence of expectations about victim behaviour on perceptions of rape victims and the pervasive influence of rape myths when evaluating female rape victims. The data is drawn from the German border region of the Netherlands, which is an especially valuable population given the evolving legal definitions of rape in both countries.

The Social, Economic, and International Relations Impact of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023, is not the first of its type. The Israeli-Palestine tension can be traced back to 1947 following the UN Partition Plan that divided the British Mandate of Palestine into Jewish and Arab Nations. Following Britain’s withdrawal from the Peninsula, the Jewish leaders declared the State of Israel, sparking the first Arab-Israeli conflict and this tension has worsened over the years. We use Thomas Hobbes's Social Contract to explain the tension between both parties. According to Hobbes, man lives in a State of Nature which is characterized by war and the continuous fear of death. This fear of death is the reason why man enters into a contract (Social Contract). There have been diverse schools of thought as to the origin of the Israeli-Palestine tension. Some believe it is the 1947 UN Partition Plan, others believe it is the June 1967 war, while others believe it is religion. Regardless of the original cause, it is evident that both parties have retained severe casualties over the years. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to review the economic, social, and international relations consequences of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. The current war has had several social consequences: refugee migrations, lack of basic survival necessities, withdrawal of medical aid groups, starving refugees, desolated cities, and allegations of rape and sexual torture. Economically, the war has led to the loss of income from economic activities, an increase in oil prices, reignited inflation, high-interest rates, increased government expenditures, and exchange rates. It has also impacted international relations among nations due to a split in support between Israel and Palestine. Nevertheless, there is an allowance for further study because this paper is limited only to the social, economic, and international relations impact of the war.

Epidemiological pattern of rape cases managed at a regional hospital in South Africa.

South Africa has one of the highest incidences of rape globally. Understanding the epidemiological pattern of rape is needed to inform the design of effective intervention programmes for rape prevention and management of alleged rape cases. To investigate important epidemiological patterns associated with rape in Kimberly, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. The Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital (RMSH) forensic unit. A descriptive, retrospective cross-sectional clinical audit of rape cases. The majority (93.3%) of the alleged rape victims were women, with a mean age (SD) of 21.6 years (11.3); the male population made up 6.7% of the cases, with a mean age (SD) of 10.5 years (6.9). The highest incidence of alleged rape in the male population was seen in the age group ≤ 16 years (81.8%) and for women 17-30 years (50.3%). Most of the incidents occurred at the perpetrators' homes (42.7%); on the days Fridays (14.6%), Saturdays (29.9%) and Sundays (23.2%); at night up to midnight 20:00-23:59 (32.9%) (p = 0.01) and involved threats of violence (55.5%). The majority (56.0%) of the perpetrators were known to the victims. Important information about the victims and circumstances in which rape occurs as reported herein can be used to inform the design of effective intervention programmes for sexual crime prevention and management in Kimberly, South Africa. This study helped to advance knowledge and understanding of the epidemiological pattern associated with rape in Kimberley, Northern Cape Province of South Africa.

Characterization of male sexual assault in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: an epidemiological study from 2014 to 2017.

Sexual violence is a pervasive global issue that affects individuals of all genders. However, the experiences of male survivors have often been marginalized and inadequately represented. Male rape, which encompasses several forms of sexual violence against men, remains a sensitive and under-discussed topic in academic literature and public discourse. This study presents a descriptive cross-sectional analysis based on data collected from the Legal Medicine Institute (IML-São Paulo, Brazil) between 2014 and 2017. The analysis includes 7386 reports of sexological examinations performed on male victims of alleged rape. The analysis reveals that a significant majority of rape reports involved victims under the age of 12 or 14, which is considered vulnerable rape by the Brazilian legislation. Regarding the examination of reported cases of abuse against men, it was observed that only the minority of these cases exhibited visible injuries consistent with rape or tested positive for the presence of spermatozoa in the perianal region. Since the absence of visible injuries or spermatozoa does not negate the possibility of rape, this work highlights the challenges in obtaining conclusive evidence, necessitating a comprehensive approach to investigate and prosecute these crimes, creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for all survivors of rape, irrespective of their gender.

The Pattern of Alleged Rape Case in Dhaka City

Background: Rape is a common social problem having great implication on the Victim, family, Judiciary and state. However it is very difficult to prove the actual rape because it is difficult to establish whether it is a consented sex or actual rape. Objective: To assess the pattern of alleged rape case in Dhaka city. Method: 176 cases of alleged rape were studied during the period of 2019-2022 at the Tertiary hospital, Dhaka. Results: Of these, 130 cases had consented sexual intercourse. 46 victims were subjected to rape. Cases include different age groups, their occupations, living areas, time of arrival for medicolegal examination have been studied. Most of the cases were students. An alarming number of victims were subjected to gang rape. Examination and reporting of the cases with have been discussed. Conclusion: This study shows that only one fourth of the alleged rape victims are the real rape cases. The victims of other cases had consent to sexual intercourse. There were several victims below the age of consent who cannot give valid consent to sexual intercourse as per law.

Our Hero and That Kind of Woman: Imaginaries of Sexuality, Masculinity and Femininity in the Discussion of the Rape Allegation against Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal

Kathlyn Mayorga’s rape allegation against Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo was mostly met in his home country with disbelief, prompting a strong wave of support for the national icon. Mayorga was often perceived as a ‘gold digger’. This article explores how traditional gender norms, sex scripts and rape myths underpinned the resignification of the rape allegation into a case of extortion, naturalizing sexual abuse regarding ‘immoral women’. It examines how the intersection of local patriarchal traditions with the neoliberal order produced a morality which normalized the commodification of women’s and men’s bodies as a path to social mobility. It looks at the commodification of Ronaldo’s body, his key to success as a ‘super-body’ whose exceptional sports performance granted him respectability, an exceptional social status and access to women’s sexualized bodies. Then, it examines the construction of Mayorga’s body as a sexualized body with less moral and/or commercial value, operating in an area perceived as indecent (sex as a ‘gold digger’ or sexual transactions as a prostitute) and whose inflicted harm could be compensated through money.

The non-stranger rapist-oriented interview for complainants: Eliciting high-quality accounts

Non-stranger rape (NSR) cases are often not prosecuted because of the poor quality of the accounts obtained from complainants. However, a growing body of research suggests that such high attrition rates are likely to improve when the quality of these accounts is increased by skilled interviewing. To assist police interviewers in eliciting high-quality accounts, the development of a guide for the interviewing of NSR complainants has recently been recommended. The present study aims to make the first step in developing such a guide. A multidisciplinary literature search was conducted. The newly developed Non-Stranger Rapist-Oriented Interview (NSROI) is specifically designed to promote complainants’ disclosure of evidentially relevant information in the form of a clear, chronological and concise narrative (i.e., a high-quality account). The guide is divided into the ‘preparatory’, ‘rape’ and ‘rape aftermath’ phase. The three themes and questions of the first phase focus on revealing the context in which the alleged rape occurred. The five themes and questions of the second phase concentrate on the day of sexual penetration. The third phase’s ninth theme and questions focus on the psychological impact of the events on the complainant. The guide includes the following themes: (i) vulnerabilities, (ii) relationship history, (iii) indications of planning and premeditation, (iv) method to gain control, (v) method to keep control, (vi) offered resistance, (vii) sexual acts performed, sequence and degree of penetration, (viii) perpetrator’s behaviour after the performed sexual acts and (ix) victim’s post-event psychological injury. The potential, implications and limitations of the NSROI are discussed.

An Analysis of Psychological Perceptions of Survivors of Sexual Assault.

Sexual assault, although not limited to females, is predominantly a form of male-on-female oppressionanda form of torture and trauma, both physical as well as psychological, and may have longstanding and lasting effects.It includes any sexual behavior or act which is threatening, violent, forced, coercive, or exploitative and to which a person has not given consent or was not able to give consent. The impact of victimization is utterly profound and there is a wide range of responses a person may have to sexual assault. Some last a few days, others a few weeks, but most can entrench far longer. A detailed analysis was conducted on the data of each case using a standardized form and guided interview of 206 survivors who had experienced alleged sexual offenses and met the specified criteria, seeking examination at the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology in a tertiary level teaching hospital in India over a period of two years. Designed as a cross-sectional observational qualitative study, relying on interviews with the survivors. The inclusion criteria encompassed survivors of alleged rape cases, kidnapping cases, and anal sex ("sodomy") cases who presented to the department during the study period. Certain cases were excluded from the study, including those requiring only an "Ossification test" and cases involving prostitution. The experiences of 206 survivors were analyzed and we found that in the majority of cases, the assailants were known to the survivors. Reasons for this included proximity, familiarity, and taking advantage of trust and faith bestowed upon them by the victim. Up to 75.24% of the offenses were committed with consent, while 24.76% were committed without consent. The causes of consensual and forceful sex acts were explored, with the majority of consensual sex acts being attributed to false promises to marry and love affairs. The majority of non-consensual sexual offenses were forcefully committed with ill intent, with only a small number being influenced by alcohol or drug intoxication. The study also found that almost equal numbers of cases were reported by survivors and their parents, and that survivor statements were valuable for investigating cases, although there were instances where they differed from their initial statements. Mental and psychological status varied among survivors, with responses related to the elapsed time period from the occurrence of the assault.

Media Discourse, Legal, and Ethical Issues Arising from the Zuma Saga and Nkandlagate

Allegations of corruption and rape against President Jacob Zuma constituted among the most covered stories in South Africa and beyond. Widely dubbed “the Zuma saga” by the media, the twin stories began with allegations of corruption in the arms deal. While the corruption case still gripped the public, another damning allegation (rape) surfaced and fermented the story to levels surpassed by no other story at the time. Zuma was subsequently acquitted of the rape charge, but the charge of corruption continued relentlessly until the eve of the 2009 elections, in which he was elected as president. But just as the South African public thought the dust was settling, Zuma was hit by another damning allegation of inappropriately spending R250 million on upgrading Nkandla, his private residence. This article is three-pronged. First, it examines the key issues that accounted for the media frenzy sparked by both the Nkandla debacle and the Zuma saga. Second, it unravels critical ethical questions and legal issues implicit in the aforementioned cases. Third, because Zuma’s acquittal raised questions regarding the independence of the judiciary, the article also assesses the condition of judicial independence in South Africa. Theoretically, the article is informed by the sociology of journalism ethics and the notions of ethical leadership and judicial independence.

Sexually Transmitted Infection/Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Pregnancy, and Mental Health-Related Services Provided During Visits With Sexual Assault and Abuse Diagnosis for US Medicaid Beneficiaries, 2019.

Centers for Disease Control recommends that the decision to provide sexually transmitted infection (STI)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and presumptive treatment to patients who report sexual assault and abuse (SAA) be made on an individual basis. The 2019 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services national Medicaid data set was used. The SAA visits were identified by International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision Clinical Modification (O9A4 for pregnancy-related sexual abuse, T74.2 for confirmed sexual abuse, and Z04.4 for alleged rape). The initial SAA visit was defined as the patient's first SAA-related visit. Medical services were identified by International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision Clinical Modification codes, Current Procedural Terminology codes, and National Drug Code codes. Of 55,113 patients at their initial SAA visits, 86.2% were female; 63.4% aged ≥13 years; 59.2% visited emergency department (ED); all STI/HIV tests were provided in ≤20% of visits; presumptive gonorrhea and chlamydia treatment was provided in 9.7% and 3.4% of visits, respectively; pregnancy test was provided in 15.7% of visits and contraception services was provided in 9.4% of visits; and diagnosed anxiety was provided in 6.4% of visits. Patients who visited ED were less likely to have STI testing and anxiety than those visited non-ED facilities, but more likely to receive presumptive treatment for gonorrhea, testing for pregnancy, and contraceptive services. About 14.2% of patients had follow-up SAA visits within 60 days after the initial SAA visit. Of 7821 patients with the follow-up SAA visits within 60 days, most medical services provided were chlamydia testing (13.8%), gonorrhea testing (13.5%), syphilis testing (12.8%), HIV testing (14.0%); diagnosed anxiety (15.0%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (9.8%). Current medical services during SAA visits for Medicaid patients are described in this evaluation. More collaboration with staff who handle SAA will improve SAA-related medical services.

Pyaar, Promise, Dhoka: Feminist Questions to Law – Commentary on Uday v. State of Karnataka (2003) 4 SCC 46

This commentary is on one ‘promise to marry’ judgment and its feminist re-writing. Promise to marry cases involve a woman agreeing to sexual intercourse with a partner relying on his promise to marry her subsequently. In inter-caste relationships, the offer of promise to marriage as a basis for engaging in sexual intercourse raises complex issues. The impunity of the caste system means that if the promise is not followed through, the woman may not just feel betrayed, but also ‘dishonoured’, socially ostracized, and left with the option of approaching the court alleging rape on grounds of an absence of meaningful consent. The original judgment did not take into consideration this caste hierarchy and rejected the allegation of rape, suggesting that an ‘intelligent, consenting’ woman needed to be aware of the ‘impossibility’ of such marriages. The judgment thereby upheld endogamous caste practices. The feminist rewriting is critical of this perspective and also highlights the absence of any form of compensation to a woman who has been violated of her dignity and social status. Feminist questions on this issue require nuance, taking into consideration the caste-religion-gender intersectionality and at the same time not measuring all acts of betrayal through the vantage point of rape. This commentary proposes certain feminist questions to the law beyond the text and interpretation of existing legal provisions.

The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century

<i>The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century</i>

Motivated inquiry: ideology shapes responses to the Christian Porter rape allegation

ABSTRACT Objective After learning of the rape allegation against the Attorney-General, Australians were divided in their support for an inquiry. We hypothesised that motivated reasoning on this issue would be associated with ideological preferences. We therefore examined whether perceptions of arguments about the inquiry could be explained by participants’ political orientation, preference for hierarchy (SDO), and motivation to justify the gender status quo (GSJ). Method Three months after the allegation was made public, we recruited a gender-balanced sample of 554 Australians to complete an online survey. Results Participants believed that an article arguing for an inquiry was stronger than an article arguing against an inquiry. However, this effect was weaker among those on the right of the political spectrum and those high on SDO. Political orientation was also associated with differing evaluations of the article’s authors: left-leaning participants found the pro-inquiry author more credible, but right-leaning participants did not. GSJ was not associated with differing evaluations of the articles or their authors. Conclusions These findings suggest that ideological preferences are associated with motivated reasoning when evaluating partisan allegations of sexual misconduct. Evaluations of such allegations appear to vary according to people’s political attitudes and preferences for social equality or hierarchy. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) In early 2021, Australians were deeply divided in their support for an inquiry into the rape allegation against Christian Porter. (2) Individuals tend to respond to political sexual misconduct allegations with a partisan bias. (3) Gender system justification (GSJ) and social dominance orientation (SDO) are associated with the denial of injustice towards women, and the maintenance of social hierarchies, respectively. What this topic adds: (1) Ideological preferences can help to explain how people evaluate arguments about the inquiry. (2) Participants on the political left and those low on SDO evaluated a pro-inquiry article as significantly stronger than the anti-inquiry article, but this effect was reduced amongst those on the right and those high on SDO. (3) These findings provide evidence that political orientation and SDO are associated with motivated reasoning when evaluating partisan allegations of sexual misconduct.

Rape Victims at The Mercy of Incompetent Justice System in Pakistan

Unfortunately, in Pakistan a surrendered rape justice system is prevailing. This paper focuses on religious, social, and legal perspectives of Rape and the pitfalls and defects in the current rape laws of Pakistan. Furthermore, from the Lodging of FIR to the trial of Court how the culture of Police and Courts Affects the victim. Then the punishment of rape i.e., Capital and chemical castration for sex offenders, and at the last conclusion and possible solutions for future betterment. Due to the increasing participation of minors in heinous crimes such as rape, a combination of age, predisposition, and intention to commit a crime should be considered instead of setting a minimum age. of the accused, to protect against fallacious allegations of rape, the Qadhf law may also be invoked in PPC. The Long-term solution is to change attitudes toward women through education and concerted efforts to raise gender.

Love, grief and violence – A study of Camille Kouchner's La Familia grande (2021)

In her 2021 book La Familia grande, Camille Kouchner testifies to the event of sexual violence more precisely that of incestuous hebephiliac rape within her family. In extensive discussions that followed the publication of the book, the media has focused on the allegations of incestuous rape against Olivier Duhamel upon his stepson, twin-brother of Kouchner, nicknamed ‘Victor’ in La Familia grande. Kouchner's nuclear and extended family is part of a French politico-cultural elite that has been shaken by Kouchner's unveiling of violence. Acknowledging this context, this article looks closely at the text itself, and also situates it in relation to works by other woman members of Kouchner's family, with a sharp focus on the work of Évelyne Pisier, Kouchner's mother. This article teases out questions of love, grief and violence as related to Kouchner's testimony, presenting a case for close attention to the literary work alongside its paratexts. I argue that shifting away from the violence of Duhamel's acts, the book turns towards the ways in which the heteropatriarchal structures of the family allow for the perpetration of such an act and the perpetuation of its violence through silencing. This reading argues for the necessary unveiling of a filiation of women, to form a possible resistance to normative narratives of the family. This article further connects Judith Butler's thoughts about incest prohibition and Évelyne Pisier's queer-inclusive feminism.

Introduction

This forum features fifteen documents translated from Vietnamese into English that address high-profile rape allegations by the poet Dạ Thảo Phương against Lương Ngọc An, a well-known poet and a coworker of hers at Văn Nghệ [Literature and Arts] newspaper. While the assaults allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2000, they were first described in public by Dạ Thảo Phương in a series of Facebook posts during Spring 2022. In addition to Dạ Thảo Phương’s posts, the forum includes a range of commentary on the case as well as a second allegation of sexual misconduct against Lương Ngọc An by the poet Bùi Mai Hạnh. We supplement this material with an essay about the broader legal, social, and cultural context of sexual violence in contemporary Vietnam by Dr. Nguyễn Thu Hương of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University of Hà Nội.