On rape victims<\/p>\n
In a letter you published on July 15 under the insensitive
\ntitle 'Rape victims have no future', Mrs. Soeparman suggested that
\nthe women who had been raped in the recent riots \"will be
\nengulfed by a feeling of shame for the rest of their lives, will
\nfeel inferior... [and] will be reluctant to get married, being
\nshameful of having lost their virginity.\"<\/p>\n
As a woman and as a member of the House of Representatives,
\nMrs. Soeparman should be wiser about just who should shoulder the
\nshame. Let's be clear about this: There is no sexuality involved
\nin rape -- no attraction, no illicit sensuality. This is
\ncertainly true for the victims, but also true for the rapists:
\nOtherwise, why would the men have repeatedly told their victims,
\n\"You are ugly!\".<\/p>\n
Rape, though based on the sex act, is at its core a brutal
\nattack, meant to physically and psychologically destroy the
\nvictim. If a man is cruelly beaten with clubs by a band of
\nmuggers, is he ashamed or does society see him as an object of
\nshame? No. Similarly, the women who have been systematically
\nraped should not be ashamed, nor should they be made to feel
\nashamed.<\/p>\n
The 152 women who were raped in the past two months (and those
\nare only the ones who have reported the attacks) should be
\ncomforted, aided and supported in every physical and
\npsychological way possible. Friends, family, the entire society
\nshould help them get through this difficult period and then look
\nforward to the future. Certainly the prayers of Mrs. Soeparman
\nand others will give some comfort.<\/p>\n
But barbarous acts such as rape require temporal action as
\nwell. The public must demand that the attackers be apprehended,
\ntried, convicted and incarcerated for their crimes -- and
\ncontinue to pressure the authorities until the rapists are
\nidentified and punished, under law. Law enforcement agencies --
\nin addition to vigorously investigating the rape cases -- must
\nreview their policies regarding victims of sexual attacks and
\nfind ways in which they can aid the victims, not traumatize them
\nfurther.<\/p>\n
Legislators must revise the laws so that in the future the
\ncourts can deal with such heinous acts in a swift, decisive and
\nsevere manner. The President must put the full weight of his
\noffice behind investigations into charges, made by women's groups
\ncounseling rape victims, that the rapes were part of an organized
\nplan to terrorize society. If true, not only the rapists, but
\nthose who laid the plans must be tried, convicted and severely
\npunished. Above all, the government and particularly the
\nPresident, must make it clear to all that, in a civil society,
\nsuch acts will not be tolerated.<\/p>\n
Yes, there is plenty of shame in rape, but it must be properly
\nassigned: The shame belongs to the rapists who commit such
\nbestialities; to the authorities who failed, and continue to
\nfail, in their duties; and finally, the shame belongs to an
\napathetic public that allows such crimes to take place and then
\npasses the blame on to innocent victims.<\/p>\n
Until Mrs. Soeparman, the editors of the Post, and other
\nIndonesians realize this, it is not the rape victims who have no
\nfuture -- it is the entire society.<\/p>\n
SUZANNE CHARLE<\/p>\n
New York<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-rape-victims-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }