We Need Anonymous to Ensure Justice for Rape Victims? Sadly, Yes. Yes, We Do.
A fair few people are saying that Anonymous should not be intervening in these rape cases, calling them "vigilantes" and saying that their efforts cause only harm, blahblahblah, let the local authorities handle it, blahblahblahBLAH, they will always do what is best, blahblahblahbittyblahblahBLAH.
Bullshit.
http://bluntandcranky.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/we-need-anonymous-to-ensure-justice-for-rape-victims-sadly-yes-yes-we-do/
Snip:"News Flash: the reason vigilantes are acting is because, and only because, the duly constituted authorities have failed the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve. For years, the cops have been able to selectively protect women from violent crimes, at the discretion of the locals, because local culture pretty much decided how to deal with sexual assaults, domestic violence and suchlike. If the locality was a hotbed of rape culture, the victims were denied justice: if the area’s mores were based on the rule of law, the guilty were prosecuted.
Not anymore, says Anonymous (and a growing number of people around the world).No one should have to play dice with their safety, their lives, and their rights, depending on where they live and the attitudes of the local constabulary. If law enforcement won’t, you know, enforce the law, then we need the hacktivists to hold their feet to the fire until they do their jobs."
Lots more at the link.
= new reply since forum marked as read
but yes we do.
"....then we need the hacktivists to hold their feet to the fire until they do their jobs."
I am kicking a second time because this is so TRUE!!!
Also repeating this:
"News Flash: the reason vigilantes are acting is because, and only because, the duly constituted authorities have failed the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve."
...of the locals needing their asses kicked before they'll do Thing One for a sexual assault victim.
WARNING: FRANK COMMENTS MAY BE TRIGGER - PLEASE BE WARNED!
There are a bunch of folks claiming it is all about "patriarchy" and such, but (in my opinion), it is more than that: the young victims don't know the rules, and don't want to get in trouble, which usually means the report doesn't happen until "evidence" is disposed of - and without "evidence" it becomes "he said/she said" - even with video, because (in theory), any young idiot can "consent" and then say "wait! I meant no!" if things go viral.
And what happens when victims report can be scarier than if they keep silent (or so many of them think): if you "tell", your entire world changes, with "everyone" knowing what happened, and people you may like/love/care about ending up in jail - or worse, NOT ending up in jail - and the victim being seen as the "troublemaker" (because perpetrators love to go after the vulnerable, and who is more vulnerable than an already troubled teenager?).
My inner "Raging Mama" would want the death penalty, inflicted slowly by me personally ( 
), but realistically, I escort spiders politely from my premises, so I totally understand "the community" via law enforcement in theory applying rigorous standards to prevent false accusations during disputes (I have a niece who called the police to report a theft when her mother took away her mp3 player as punishment for misbehavior, so teenage drama is not unknown to my family - lol!), and putting criminals in jail in lieu of my murdering them, but with our acceptance of a teenagers 'right' to learn about sexuality on their own terms (for example), we now have them in the same position as our adult women victims - viewed sceptically and ignored.
We already have trouble getting victims of domestic assault - women and children in particular, but men as well - to come forward, or leave abusive situations, with victims presenting a variety of reasons for the "freeze" in their "flight, fight or freeze" survival responses, and the intermittent nature of the behavior ("he doesn't *always* fill-in-the-blank and he said he was sorry"
makes it ridiculously challenging to motivate changes in behavior by perpetrators before things escalate to where a victim's survival finally means leaving (which is something the victim usually didn't want to do in the first place - they wanted to repair or "go back to how things were before when it was safe" . Add sex into the mix, and things just get beyond ugly.
The girl in Canada is the perfect example of some of what I am saying: she didn't "tell" for nearly a week, probably for fear of getting in trouble for underage drinking at a party. (NOTE: This is NOT to say it is her fault by any means - she DID NOT DESERVE TO BE ASSAULTED; I am attempting to understand/explain to myself some of her *probable* motivation based on my own knowledge and experiences.) For any adult, this is patently ridiculous, and we obviously hope her family would have contacted the police/supported her on the spot, but we don't know her family situation, and it was a week later. Her attackers counted on her keeping quiet and it worked for them because later official reports referred to it as a "he said/she said" despite photo evidence/social bragging to the contrary.
In a perfect world, she would have felt safe enough to call the police *at the crime scene* when she realized what happened (or someone else witnessing would have called for her). But she *chose* to keep silent for nearly a week because it felt "safer" than telling - and that is so freaking common, it makes me ill to think about it.
Is rape akin to murder? Or is it "just" an assault? I personally think it falls somewhere in between. I have known people whose lives were destroyed by sexual assault and the ways they found to cope, and have known others who turned their "survivor" skills into strengths that I remain in awe of. But how do you legislate for "this person is going to be okay" and "this person is *never* going to be okay"? How do you figure out which way a victim is going to end up - and how do you start the process if a victim is stuck in "flight" or "freeze" mode for longer than the assault until there is no evidence - and how do you identify the person who just "changed her mind" later, after she got in trouble (which isn't bloody often, but does happen on occasion)?
Personally, I think you take your victim how you find them, and in the case that has come up, I hold a strong hope that second degree murder charges can be added to the crimes the rapists face since there is undoubtedly a strong correlation between the rape, its aftermath, and her subsequent suicide.
But it is an absolute freaking mess, and people shouldn't have to resort to suicide before someone pays attention to the cries for help.
Having worked with law enforcement people for a fair few years, I understand how laws can be written (well or not so), and implemented (well or not so). The only solution is twofold:
1: write good, clear, unambiguous laws, and
2: implement procedures that mandate that each and every victim of crime is given every protection and assistance that the law requires, regardless of attitudes or opinions.
In Columbus, OH (for example), victims of sexual assault are handled in a specific manner, by hospitals, EMTs, cops, sheriffs, and prosecutors. There are a small number of mishandled cases (humans can f*** up anything, after all), but overall, it's a model for how to handle such cases.
In Steubenville, the exact opposite is the case. The reason for the difference? Badly-written state and local laws, and a lack of consistency in how those laws are enforced.
At a minimum, sexual assault victims need to = sexual assault victims. No Madonna/whore judgments by the locals, no interference by relatives or friends, no outing of the victim, no shaming by the authorities. Everybody gets a fair hearing when they present an accusation/report a crime.
Just that one thing could make it a whole helluva lot more likely that victims will come forward in a timely manner. Knowing that justice is in fact just is crucial to trust in the system. If people trust the system, they'll use it.
Nice post. 
I agree with 100% of everything you just wrote!
I loved this part in particular:
"No Madonna/whore judgments by the locals, no interference by relatives or friends, no outing of the victim, no shaming by the authorities. Everybody gets a fair hearing when they present an accusation/report a crime."
Go Anonymous!
