A Hard Day
It started with the paper. The awful, horrifying, sickening details of what those men had done to that girl reported so clinically. The required numbers of 'allegedly' and 'according to...' interspersed with the torture of a teenage girl.
Then, everytime I'm near a computer, I search google news - trying to find out what's going on in court on an hour by hour basis. It doesn't take much to upset me, and most major bits of news from court are more than enough.
I know there are women for whom this trial is much, much harder than it is for me. I feel really lucky, because I'm not alone - all day I've been talking to women who are having the same reactions. We talk in a sort of short-hand - because we've said it all before. Me? I keep saying "she was 16 years old".
How many women's testimony equals one man's testimony? It seems like an awful lot.
What really sickens me is that rape is the only crime I can think of where the complainant is on trial far, far more than the defendant is. And it's not just in NZ, which traditionally has an appalling rape culture - as far as I can tell, it's like this in every country in the world.
ReplyDeleteThe women who have stood and testified against these 3 rapist cops, are brave and strong women. They are powerful women who are speaking out not only for themselves but so that all women who are raped can have fairer trials. They have taken these men off the streets, making NZ a little bit safer for us all.
ReplyDeleteThey are not passive victims, they have endured much, so much, and so many years of struggle, to get their cases brought to courts and they deserve our admiration not our pity.
Please don't feel this is an attack at what your are saying. I understand your sympathy.
For those interested in a historical gang rape case from Mt Maunganui where four men were convicted, and now only two have thier names and occupations suppressed. See http://www.peterellis.org.nz/police/MtMaunganuiCase/index.htm
ReplyDeleteAs for letting the courts decide, the courts are unable to find whether someone is guilty of a crime or not. They do not function, and need replacement. so no, we can't just let the courts decide.