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.
Of course you can get over being raped, but it’s not easy.
I actually don’t think it was so offensive. She might have used the wrong words, but basically she says being raped is not nice, but you can get over it cos you are still alive.
@Aisha, thanks for the comment. I don’t think it is fair of her to compare rape to death to be quite honest. I think it is irresponsible of her to do that to be quite honest because it seems to me she is thus trying to suppress discussion on it by chirping about death.
@Caspar, the thing is, this whole “she has a right to her opinion” doesn’t wash with me in the sense that that is a default right. I am not debating freedom of speech. I am debating what she said. I don’t see how her right of opinion is relevant because I am acknowledging it anyway by discussing it.
Aisha sd: “I don’t think she’s trying to minimize rape, just trying to magnify the seriousness of death. Because obviously, without life everything else is irrelevant.”
This is an excellent point. Being close to death has a way of focusing you.
Anyways the reporter has a right to her opinion. If she feels that one can get over rape and say so nonchalantly then she can. Just as you have the right to be angry about it. But it isn’t going to change her viewpoint, or yours, or the others around her/you. What I mean is that the subject of rape is pretty much set in peoples minds and how a person feels about it isn’t going to change how anyone else feels about it.
Hmmmm….. I’m thinking the fact that her words were written instead of spoken may be an issue here. It seem she was being tongue-in-cheek. I think what she’s saying is that while rape is horrible, you still have your life. I don’t think she’s trying to minimize rape, just trying to magnify the seriousness of death. Because obviously, without life everything else is irrelevant.
While I agree that rape carries a stigma everywhere, it’s not the same in the UK as it may be in a Middle Eastern country, for example. There your family could kill you for being raped because you have “shamed” them.
I understand what she’s saying, it was just poorly worded. At least I hope this is the case. Because otherwise, that would be seriously messed up.