Responses to Rape: Appalling & Cavalier

Is there anything specifically tough about being a female foreign reporter? “Obviously it’s quite nice to avoid being raped,” she says, matter of factly. “I nearly was once, but I know a journalist who was raped repeatedly in Angola when she was slung into jail. We discussed that and it’s obviously not very nice being raped, but you can get over it. You can’t get over death.” She qualifies this, adding that unlike rape victims in some parts of the world, in the UK your family won’t reject you. But it still feels like a tough statement.

That is a segment from an article on MediaGuardian about a female foreign correspondent on the Daily Mail. I think that extract is one of the most irresponsible and frankly offensive comments I have read in a very long time. How can this foreign correspondent respond to rape in such a cavalier fashion ? Has she been raped ? The article does not make it clear at all so I have to assume that she hasn’t. However, she is barking on about how in the UK, families won’t reject you…Um, hello ? Of course they can! Rape is still highly stigmatised across the entire world. I remember reading this on Monday and I was outraged. I was appalled at how it looked at rape in such a blase, almost curt manner. I am really appalled to be quite honest.

Secondly, she maintains that one can get over rape. I have never been assaulted in such a brutal way that a rape victim has however I refuse to agree with this insensitive woman’s assertion that you can just get over it, as if it is some sort of terrible dream.

I am just furious to be quite honest. This is APPALLING.