I read an article in the Straits Times over the weekend that really pissed me off. I wrote a letter to the editor, and I just found out it was rejected. Although it was not accepted, I still might have made a minor difference – they changed the subtitle of the article, which I am going to pretend was because of me.
The article was about the rape of a teenage girl. It originally had a subtitle that read something along the lines of “girl too drunk to defend herself”. As soon as I read that, I shot up out of concern that they were going to go down an ugly road. They did.
Before I continue, ask yourself if you see any problems with this:
The girl, who was not much of a drinker, soon became drunk and at her boyfriend’s suggestion, lay down in a bedroom and fell asleep.
In the wee hours of the following morning, two men whom they played cards with, entered the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
One of them kissed her and molested her while she was asleep. The man, who is married with two young children, then removed her underwear and started having sex with her. The other man also kissed her and fondled her breasts.
Shocked, the girl woke up but was so drunk that she could do little to resist their advances.
Right, I am sure she would have been able to defend herself against two grown men if she were sober. Is this person kidding me?
The fact that this article decided to focus on her drinking does a couple of things I disagree with. First, it suggests that she is partly responsible, which is not OK. No one deserves to be sexually assaulted, regardless of their state of mind. Second, the tone of this article most likely added to the pain and suffering of this girl. If she ever thought about blaming herself, this article basically gives her the pass to do so, which is unacceptable.
I wrote them a quick letter that summarized my points, but they rejected it. However, as a good Singaporean would do, I am writing on my blog to complain about it.
FYI -
A day later, both men met the girl to apologise and pleaded with her to withdraw her complaint to the authorities. At another meeting, the men were arrested, after the girl’s boyfriend called the police.
Both men will be sentenced on Dec 3. The man convicted of rape faces a maximum of 10 years’ jail and a fine or caning in a district court.
The other faces a maximum of two years’ jail and caning.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
i don’t really think it focuses on her drinking and saying that she’s to be partially blamed. In fact, when I read it, it was more that she was drunk, and two men took advantage of her.
maybe if she wasn’t drunk they wouldn’t have taken advantage of her? i think that was what the article was trying to highlight.
For me it is more the tone of the article, and the fact that it was a major focus. Specifically, when they stated that she could not defend them when she woke up because she was drunk. Think about – two adult men pin her down while she is asleep – is she really going to be able to do anything even if she is sober.
I also realize that I might be making a mountain out of this, I just think people need to use caution when dealing with this issue.
Also, I am not convinced that they took advantage of her because she was drunk – rape is about power, and from the description of these guys, I don’t think much would have stopped them, but who knows.
Anyway, thanks for the comment.
Hi Taylor!
Thanks for dropping by my blog -) But i guess i’m here to talk abit more about your post -)
i wholeheartedly agree with you, that no man has a right to force himself on a woman. Would the men not have raped her if she were sober? in their minds they probably already have, but she being drunked might have just been the ‘push’ they needed to act in such a way.
i don’t think i could blame the girl, or the alcohol.. i don’t think she deserved it, even if she was drunk, because like we agree, it’s not human to act in such a way.
but the world is an unfair one, and can be dangerous.. and we can try (being the operative word here) to avoid such situations by being wary of who we’re hanging out with, or who we’re getting drunk with. some go as far as to avoid alcohol.. but ultimately, the human condition has more random factors than that..
still, i was just highlighting my own perception of the tone in that article -)