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Do women know what to do when raped?
2006-05-17 09:22:51
By Correspondent Beatrice P. Mgaya
Rape is sex with a woman without her agreement, which in the law is called her consent. Any time a man has sex with a woman when she doesn’t agree, that is rape. It is rape, even if the man does not use physical violence to force himself on the woman.
It is rape even if the man has no weapon. It is rape even if the woman does not have cuts and bruises. It is rape even if the woman does not fight against her attacker, as long as it is clear that she does not agree to have sex.
If a man tries to enter the woman and cannot, either because she fights him off, or he is caught in the act, or for any other reason, he is still guilty of attempted rape. He has committed a crime and can be punished.
A girl under the age of 12 is by law incapable of consenting.
Therefore, even if it seems that she agreed to have sex, the law says that she has been raped.
This law protects young girls.
There is also a law which makes it a crime for a man to have sex with a girl under the age of 16. In this law it does not matter whether the girl consents or not. This is sometimes called rape but it is not – but it is a crime and the man can be punished.
It is now important to look at what has to be done when someone has been raped so that they take the necessary steps in reporting the matter to the police. Do not clean up. However much you want to, do not wash yourself.
The doctor will be able to find important evidence on your body and it will be destroyed if you wash. Do not change your clothes. There might be important evidence on the cloth. Do not tidy up the place where the rape has taken place.
The police might find important evidence there. If you have to carry any evidence to the police station, such as cloth with blood or semen on it, do not wash the cloth.
Put it in a paper bag, not a plastic bag, because plastic can destroy evidence. Evidence like blood and semen is very important. Do not drink anything, or take any alcohol or drugs. This will also destroy valuable evidence.
It is also important to tell someone immediately about the rape because this will be evidence in court to prove that you were raped.
The person you tell will be a witness to help convince the judge that you did not consent to the intercourse. It is important to tell the first person you can about the rape.
That person may be a stranger. If so, remember to take his/her name and address so that you can find him or her when it is time to go to court.
The person may be a friend or relative. If so, he/she can also help you to get help. The person may be a police officer.
The sooner you report to the police, the easier it will be to catch the rapist and convict him. The police will also be able to help you get help.
It is important for you to report the rape to the police so that the man who attacked you can be caught and so that you can get help.
It is important to report to the police in case you fall pregnant. If you find later that you are pregnant, and you reported the rape to the police immediately, it will help you to get legal abortion.
Do not be afraid to report to the police. You can take a friend with you if you want to. Reporting to the police will not be easy, but it is extremely important.
It is best to go to the police station as soon as possible. If you have been badly hurt, the police can help you get to the hospital.
They can ask you questions about the rape while you can still remember. They can collect evidence while the evidence can still be found.
Remember, you should not wash or change clothes before you go to the police. You should bring a clean change of clothes with you to the police station if possible, because they may want to keep your dirty clothes as evidence. When you get to the police station you may ask to see a female police officer.
If you do not want to talk to a male officer, tell the police that you will wait until a female officer arrives. You may ask to discuss the rape in private, in a room with no one in it except you and the one police officer who is asking you questions.
You may also ask to have a friend with you when you tell the police about the rape.
The police officer will ask you questions about the rape. You should describe everything that happened. You do not have to answer questions which are not about the rape.
If the police do not ask you about something you think is important, tell them the information. Any information at all may be useful.
Try to remember every detail you can.
Do not avoid anything or change the truth because you are embarrassed. It is very important that you tell everything and that you tell only the truth.
You may find it difficult to talk about actions and parts of the body which are usually very private.
But you must talk about these things so that the police understand exactly what happened to you.
It takes a very long time to tell all the details of a rape. If you are tired and want to rest first, tell the police officer and he/she will tell you that you can come back the next day after you have rested.
Do not try to talk if you feel tired, hurt, or anxious. The fact that you came to the police immediately is important, and they can wait until you have rested before hearing the whole story.
However, the police will want to take you to a doctor right away, before important evidence on your body disappears.
The police may want you to go with them to see if you can find and identify the man who raped you. You may feel afraid to do this, but it is important to find him as soon as possible.
The police may also want you to go with them to the place where the man raped you. This is also difficult, but necessary. You can bring a friend with you if you want to.
Even if you do not feel hurt, you may be hurt inside, or may have got a disease from the man, or may be pregnant. It is very important to see a doctor as soon as possible, even if you do not have cuts or bruises.
You may want to go to the doctor or to the hospital or clinic before you go to the police. If so, remember not to wash or change your clothes before you go.
Even if you have seen a doctor, and the doctor has collected evidence, you must still make a report to the police.
Remember that your body is yours, and no man or boy should touch it without your permission. If they do, you have the right to say no without feeling bad.
Any man or boy who rapes you, has done something wrong and deserves to be punished. You have not done anything wrong, and there is no need to feel ashamed.
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