Victim Found Innocent

VICTIM FOUND INNOCENT
By Jan Phillips
After several grueling days of questioning, the victim was finally determined to be innocent of perpetrating her own sexual assault. That is probably part of the reason over 60% of the sexual assaults occurring every two minutes somewhere in the United States is never reported to the authorities. Of those reported, there is only around a 16% chance the perpetrator will go to jail. Fifteen out of sixteen perpetrators will walk free, and around 75% of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows.
That is part of the statistics the victims face along with being blamed. Have you every seen a person walk by and thought or commented to a companion “she’s just asking for it dressed like that”? Or maybe some icon of the community is accused of sexual assault and you figured she must have done something that caused it, because after all he wears the police uniform and is supposed to uphold the law. Besides, she should have known better than to go hang out at that place, it’s just a bunch of drunks. It is so much easier to blame the victim than to think someone in public service or that is in authority and known and respected is guilty of such a heinous crime.
And so, the victim is stereotyped as to what she wears, where she goes, how she conducts her life, and who her friends are. However, the perpetrator is also stereotyped. He lives in a low income trailer park, drinks beer, never shaves, and wears a “wife beaters shirt”. Sexual assault never discriminates. It transcends all barriers such as income, age, race, religion. It is in every segment of society. There is no clear picture of what the guilty person should look like, as there is no particular way the innocent must look.
There is much discussion as to the root cause of sexual assault. There are some strong indicators that alcohol and drugs do play a major role both for the victim and perpetrator. Control, power, and anger are also factors. There is speculation that brain injuries, chemical imbalance, and high testosterone levels are major players. If you ask the person committing the crime, he probably couldn’t tell you precisely either. He would say “she wanted it”, “she said no, but she meant yes”, “I was so angry”, or maybe “I don’t know”. I use the term “he” because some where in the vicinity of 99% of perpetrators are male. So then, there is no exact cause which leads me to wonder how in the world do you prevent it?
Entirely prevent it? I doubt that will happen. However, here are a few things you can do to maybe keep from becoming a victim. Take self defense classes. That would be number one for me. Always be aware of your surroundings, know who is out there and what’s going on, and walk with confidence. The more confident you look, the stronger you appear. Know your limits when it comes to using alcohol and keep and eye on your drink at all times. Also, be assertive, don’t let anyone violate your space and by all means trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings, leave.
Other preventative measures you could use are using the buddy system, jog or walk with a friend, keep house and car locked at all times even if you will just be gone for a minute, make sure you have your keys out and ready when getting to your car, immediately lock the door when you get in your vehicle, vary your route, don’t open your door to someone you don’t know, avoid isolated spots, try to keep your vehicle in good working order and full of gas.
If you are, have been, or know someone who is or has been a victim of sexual assault, there is help out there. There are nationwide hot line numbers to call or if you live in the state of Oklahoma, there are numerous resources. There are over twenty places to get help scattered over the state. The YWCA in Oklahoma City has one the premiere programs offering a wide variety of services such as counseling, SANE program (sexual assault nurse examiner), victims hospital advocates who accompany the sane nurse to the hospital, emergency shelter, and on site assistance at the police station. They have a 24/7 sexual assault hotline (405-943-7273) to call for assistance.
Break the cycle of sexual assault and domestic violence through education and awareness. For those who have never experienced any form of sexual assault or domestic violence, take the time to learn about the programs and where to go for help. The reason I suggest this is because according to statistics, one in every six women will become a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. For more information go to http://www.ocadvsa.info/Reports.aspx which is the web site of Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
Remember to blame the person actually committing the crime, not the victim. Keep your eyes and heart open to those in need and always report any suspicious behavior to the proper authorities. Take care and be aware.

Very good advice cleo574. Victims of rape and molestation go through devastation that is beyond the understanding of those who have never experienced it (may they never have to). It not only destroys the victim's lives, it destroys their family's live. And, it can strike anyone. So your advice is very much appreciated.

I don't even know where to begin on this one, repeated sexual assault at an early age (5-6 in my case) is so difficult to comprehend or process. It actually has the effect of rewiring your thinking processes resulting in an escapism mentality that is warped and completely out of touch with reality, perverse thoughts, perverse actions, sexual promiscuity, anger, it is nothing short of soul murder. The younger the better for Satan's plan of attack, like a vampire's bite the victim tends to act out as he/she was acted upon. To different degrees, without love and guidance it's a vicious cycle and something very difficult to speak of. At the age of five I felt immense guilt and shame and that over the years increased in toxicity. I had a very difficult time Ms. Cleo responding to this (too close to home) but as I watched and checked in on this post of your's I noticed no further replies than Lora's. It's a shame really because this is one of Satan's favorite attacks on families (divide and conquer, a tried and proven battle tactic for ages). I commend you on posting this and I fervently pray that other's will come forward and avail themselves of an opportunity for cartharsis in the safety of Brothers and Sisters in Christ and under the watchful nurturing Loving presence of our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, only begotten Son of God.

I hope all those reading the posted story understand they are not alone and there is help out there. When you are a child, its hard to know who you can trust. I hope it helps at least one person although it would be nice if it was able to help more.
Thanks and God Bless

When you're a child, you're taught to obey adults, as well they should. But, in this world there are evil people who take advantage of that. I know it would have been very helpful to me when I was experiencing the aftermath of rape. I have since been set free and I am healed, all Glory to God. There are so many victims out there, I am sure your message will reach them. Many people surf this site. Many blessings to you for posting it.