Rape Is Not Normal

So why do we still live in a culture where rape is seen and spoken of as if it is?

A friend went to the Foundling Museum in London recently and, without giving away too much of the detail that was confided to her, she met an elderly woman whose birth mother had been a vulnerable child and had been raped, leading to the elderly lady’s conception. Immediately, I felt a flare of rage within me against all men because men are the perpetrators of this crime. In the UK, rape is defined legally as unwanted penetration of a person with a penis. Only men have penises. Only men can rape.

As soon as I felt this feeling of rage hit me, I knew it to be unfair; I am fortunate to be surrounded by decent men who would never dream of sexually assaulting a woman or child and would endanger themselves to stop it. The men in my direct world don’t rape. But many others do and as a society we use language that excuses and normalises this crime. We accept it as part of society.

Rape is the ultimate crime against women. A crime that has had women living in fear for as long as there have been men and women.

Women take it for granted that they have to take measures to cut down their risk of rape. Women choose the ‘safest’ route home, stick to lit streets, the ‘safest’ transport they can use, walk with a…