“What were you wearing?”
Humiliating questions from officials prevent reports of sexual violence
Rape is still rarely reported
© Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley / Shutterstock
The hurdle to report a sexual offense to the police is still immensely high – worldwide. Again and again women have to expose themselves to humiliating questions from officials. In France, victims of sexual violence should now be spared going to the police.
France’s police stations have long been criticized. The accusation: women who want to report sexual offenses are pestered with humiliating questions. This is what happened to a women’s rights activist who wanted to report a crime in Montpellier in the south of France.
#doublepeine: Women report on their experiences of filing a complaint about sexual violence
She launched the call #doublepeine (in German: double punishment), whereupon hundreds of women reported humiliating questions and suggestive remarks when reporting sexual crimes.
One woman wrote: “I hear her say again: ‘Another drunk girl, we should stop taking in her complaints’.” While this woman is about to place her ad, she is sitting in a room with the doors open – no privacy, no peace and quiet, the bureau can overhear everything.
“I wore this when I was a victim of sexual violence”
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Police officers ask rape victims “if they enjoyed it”
Another woman wrote: “In France, police ask rape victims if they enjoyed it.” Other women were asked how they had been dressed, whether they were really in pain, or why they hadn’t screamed.
France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has now said that there are plans to prevent victims of sexual or domestic violence from having to come to the police station to report them. From the end of the year, officials are to come to some Paris departments on a trial basis to record a complaint in the victim’s private environment. Although this safeguards privacy, it does not change anything in the way of potentially unworthy questions from police officers.
Almost every third woman in Germany is affected by sexual violence at some point in her life
Most crimes of sexual violence committed by women are still not reported – worldwide. With regard to Germany, studies show that only five to 15 percent of rapes are reported. And only a fraction of the reported offenders actually end up in the dock – even fewer are convicted. Germany’s conviction rate has been below the EU average for years.
According to the Ministry of Family Affairs, the number of unreported women who have suffered sexual violence at least once in their lives is just under 12 million – this means that every third woman in Germany is affected.
Women often do not report rape out of shame and fear
But why do women not report the crimes? Often out of shame and fear. The problem: After a rape, women are still often blamed or at least partly to blame for the crime. One of the most persistent prejudices is that women only make up rape to harm men. According to the police, there are false reports, but these are minimal.
In addition, women are to blame for wearing skirts that are too short, dancing provocatively or kissing the later perpetrator. This is wrong! A deep neckline or a short skirt do not justify rape.
#doublepeine caused quite a stir in France. The activist and artist Bianca Groebner has now launched the “was.hatte.ich.an” page on Instagram. Those affected can share their experiences using the hashtag #washatteichan.
Sources used: spiegel.de, instagram.com, Frauenberatung-hsk.de, bmfsfj.de