Women Against Rape

Women Against Rape (WAR) is a British organisation founded in 1976. Their main aims were the following. They argued that there should be recognition of rape of every kind; not just by strangers, and not just by physical violence, but by social pressure, blackmail and financial pressure. They wanted rape in marriage to be made illegal (which it was in 1991). They also thought that the state should be obligated to prevent and eliminate rape. They wanted the state to financially support rape victims. They said that every woman should have the finances to leave a relationship where she feels in danger of rape. They wanted victims to be treated with care and not put on trial.[1]

Authored by Ruth Hall, Selma James and Judith Kertesz, in 1981, the organisation published The Rapist who Pays the Rent: Women's Case for Changing the Law on Rape: Evidence Submitted by Women Against Rape, Britain, to the Criminal Law Revision Committee, 1981 and 1984.[2][3] This was submitted to the criminal law committee in 1981 as evidence in favour of making rape in marriage a crime, which was what the committee was considering.

Authored by Ruth Hall, in 1985, a book was published called Ask Any Woman - A London Inquiry into Rape and Sexual Assault.[4] It was criticised for its lack of statistical rigour.[5] In the early years of the organisation WAR tried to argue that propositions such as women said no when they really meant yes; that men have uncontrollable urges; that women ask for it by wearing provocative clothing; and that rape is not abnormal as men initiate sex; were just myths. They were critical of the alleged unsympathetic police response to rape saying it was like a second rape. They opposed medical examinations after rape had been reported, but this was before DNA evidence was available in 1986.[6]

In May 2015 Lisa Longstaff of Women Against Rape appeared on an episode of the BBC Victoria Derbyshire show. She made reference to the case of Elanor de Freitas, a woman who had claimed she had been raped but was prosecuted for making a false allegation. Freitas committed suicide while on trial for perverting the course of justice. Longstaff twice referred to the man who raped Freitas as a "rapist", and as a result the BBC was forced to issue an apology for any distress they'd caused as a result of the broadcast.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Hall, Ruth (1 August 1977). "When rape, like charity, begins at home". The Guardian.
  2. ↑ Ruth Hall; Selma James; Judith Kertesz (1984). The Rapist who Pays the Rent: Women's Case for Changing the Law on Rape : Evidence Submitted by Women Against Rape, Britain, to the Criminal Law Revision Committee, 1981 and 1984. Falling Wall Press. ISBN 978-0-905046-27-3.
  3. ↑ Gibbs, Francis (11 December 1981). "Move to outlaw marital rape". The Times. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Ruth E. Hall (1985). Ask Any Woman: A London Inquiry Into Rape and Sexual Assault : Report of the Women's Safety Survey Conducted by Women Against Rape. Falling Wall Press. ISBN 978-0-905046-28-0.
  5. ↑ MacLean, Brian (1985). "Book Review". The British Journal of Criminology. 25 (4): 390–392. JSTOR 23637224.
  6. ↑ Gibbs, Francis (14 September 1977). "Women's groups want changes at police stations and courts in sexual assault cases". The Times. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Victoria Derbyshire - Programme update: An apology - BBC Two". BBC.
  8. ↑ "22/05/2015, Victoria Derbyshire - BBC Two". BBC.


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