The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Ched Evans, Twitter, and the pervasiveness of rape culture

Look no further for evidence that victim-blaming and misogyny are alive and well.

By Samira Shackle Published 23 April 2012 17:11

Ched Evans in action, March 2012. Photograph: Getty Images

Some excellent commentary has also been written on the implications of this reaction. Julian Norman at the F-Word is well worth reading:

This is rape culture. A culture in which a convicted rapist is described as "that poor man" and his imprisonment attracts sympathy, while the victim is treated as though her rape was her own fault, or, weirdly, as though she had orchestrated the attack on her for some supposed benefit.

Elsewhere, Amanda Bancroft at Comment is Free has written an excellent piece on the implications:

Does it raise questions about the adequacy of the criminal justice system?

Broadly speaking, law isn't a shield to prevent a bad thing happening – it cannot stop people behaving in a certain way; it can only prescribe a punishment or remedy should people behave in a certain way. Our modern digital world enables us to see more easily behaviour we knew existed. The criminal law exists because we recognise the potential for people to commit the behaviour.

It has been reported that North Wales Police is collating the relevant information. What they do with it remains to be seen. Certainly, revelaing the name of a victim goes well beyond an issue of freedom of speech.

Tags: twitter Rape feminism

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18 comments

Thu, 2012-04-26 08:17 — Sally Archer (not verified)

Paddington actually appeared in the comment thread below, not above, once my comment posted. (My first time commenting here; didn't know the screen would re-configure below and above.) Keep the faith, all people of good will, because the rapist ilk cannot ultimately prevail in a universe where love is possible.

Thu, 2012-04-26 08:10 — Sally Archer (not verified)

Paddington, above, states the "majority of birds" to refer to the majority of young women in the same comment he refers to the convicted rapist as a young man.

Do we not see the inherent disdain and hatred of women by the very language too many men commonly use?

How would Paddington and his mates like to be called "apes" or "goats" or "gorillas" or "birds"? Given the prevalence of subtle shades of misogyny in English-speaking culture, it's my guess that he'd prefer any term from the animal kingdom other than "birds" for himself and his mates.

The point is clear. This jury-convicted rapist's friend believed he'd found a "bird" for the night and unbeknownst to her, he called in the sports hero who treated her as subhuman by raping her.

A jury of one's peers dates back to the Magna Charta if my school-days memory serves. If above the jury the appellate men in charge later undo the jury's verdict, oh, well, some might say it's the male-ideational judiciary as usual in the man-protection racket. Don't even get me started on the way the legal system invented by men protects the cruelty and terror depicted by men against women (and outside the UK and other ostensibly civilized countries, little girls), many of whom are trafficked and/or drugged, appearing online all the time, free to any male with an online portal.

Today's (this very second's) rapist and torturer offerings of "gonzo porn" are so disgusting and horrifying most women don't even know or want to know, but men as primates with primate brains are obviously affected by the callous dehumanization of women fed to them by the global corporate industry of online pornography.

Virtual "apes, "goats" or "gorillas" pretending to be men have created the global horror show of an undeclared war by men against women, and I'm tired of the hypocrisy. But none of the world's rapist-apologists are worth more time than to post this comment --- my women friends and I move on to have nothing to do with the rapist ilk.

Mon, 2012-04-23 20:37 — Robert Taggart

The 'sisterhood' bleat on endlessly about equality.
Good for them, but, rape law be unequal - and they say nothing ?
Name him - name her. Nothing to hide ? = Nothing to fear.
Sorted !

Mon, 2012-04-23 22:57 — Roz Smith (not verified)

This is a while ago now (like 20 years), but there was someone in school a few years below me who was raped, and I will always think of her now as the girl who got raped. She was a victim. If you identify the individual, everyone will always think of them as that person who got raped, and she will always been seen as a victim. Keeping an identity safe means that the victim is in a position to move on with her life and the perpetrator is punished. Also, if the perpetrator gets off on a technicality, i.e. someone messes up the evidence, the victim doesn't become known as the girl who cried rape, when in fact she was.

Mon, 2012-04-23 18:16 — Flashbuck

There'll be an appeal and he'll be exonerated. Fact. And when that happens she should be hauled up and dealt with for bringing up such accusations. But that won't happen and instead she'll be permitted to walk away and keep her name forever protected with no one allowed to discuss who she is. And then we wonder why there so many so-called rape allegations. Duh!

Tue, 2012-04-24 08:36 — DMyers

Hmmm, I think he ruined his own life when he raped that girl. Fact.

Mon, 2012-04-23 19:36 — Russ (not verified)

Tut, why are we bothering to pay all those Judges and expensive courts when we could just ask you what happened? Even though you were not in court or at the hotel, even though you didn't see any of the evidence you still know more than anybody else about what happened that night. Who needs facts and evidence a judicial procedure when we could just ask you what happened?

Mon, 2012-04-23 18:05 — Chuffnut (not verified)

RE: the quote that you've pulled out of the guardian article.

I read that very same quote in an article published at Legalweek
http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/blog-post/2169638/media-rules-ched-e...

Seems the guardian article hasn't properly attributed their copy...

Mon, 2012-04-23 18:07 — Chuffnut (not verified)

Or perhaps MillyB at legalweek and Amanda Bancroft are one and the same person?

Mon, 2012-04-23 17:54 — Ciaron Goggins (not verified)

Anonymity for women who make accusations but not for men accused. Given the number of false/malicious claims (10% minimum, England & Wales 2011) this seems to be in breach of ECHR legislation.

Mon, 2012-04-23 23:39 — Roz Smith (not verified)

Maybe we'll meet you half way, if you get all men to understand the term informed consent, we'll throw the false accusers to the lions.

Tue, 2012-04-24 16:14 — Ciaron Goggins (not verified)

Agreed on informed consent now lets try "contributory negligence". Much of what is termed date rape is buyers remorse.

Mon, 2012-04-23 19:28 — Russ (not verified)

Would you care to back up this claim with some evidence please.

Tue, 2012-04-24 16:17 — Ciaron Goggins (not verified)

Contact every constabulary in England and Wales under the FOI. I did.

Tue, 2012-04-24 16:15 — Ciaron Goggins (not verified)

Contact every constabulary in England and Wales under the FOI. I did.

Mon, 2012-04-23 19:28 — Russ (not verified)

Would you care to back up this claim with some evidence please.

Mon, 2012-04-23 17:38 — paddington (not verified)

as a wednesday fan i had been aware of this case. united fans used to chant "he shags who he wants"

saw this vile comment on sheffield united fan forum

"In many cases, somebody totally innocent is attacked, hit by a car, murdered etc. Hasn't she got to shoulder a tiny smidgeon of guilt here? Not even 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'. Similar incidents to this will happen a few dozen times around the UK tonight. The majority of birds will hate themselves in the morning and move on. This one has destroyed a young mans life. Wonder how long before she's selling her story?"

Tue, 2012-04-24 08:43 — DMyers

That comment is awful. I find it hard to believe that people still hold views like that, but we can see that there are obviously rather a lot of unenlightened people out there. For idiots like Flashbuck above: I don't know if he knows anyone who has been raped, but it is a very real offence which has a profound effect on the victim. Sex crimes can never be justified, and those who commit such crimes must be harshly punished. I'm generally liberal when it comes to treatment of offenders, but not for those who commit violent sexual offences such as rape.