Four out of five female undergraduates surveyed at Canadian universities said that they had been victims of violence in a dating relationship. Of that number, 29% reported incidents of sexual assault. (W. DeKeseredy and K. Kelly, "The Incidence and Prevalence of Woman Abuse in Canadian University and College Dating Relationships: Results From a National Survey," Ottawa: Health Canada, 1993)
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
No Defence Class
Argh!
I was totally unable to join my defense class! Sorry for not being around. I was under attack by my own appendix. Being in the hospital for the last week due to my ruptured appendix - has left me unable to blog, AND unable to join my self defence class!
Perhaps the next session.
Sorry about not responding or visiting blogs in the last little while, still resting up.
Today, I am reading a book (fiction) in which there are descriptions of woman being raped because it is used as a weapon of polictical war.
Why must us women suffer? I have not been able to shake the descriptions that I have read in this book....mind blowing.
But as much as that is fiction - to think back to my incident - I can say that rape is a weapon. A weapon of the weak.
I have decided to join a gym today and take self defense classes. Just because.
I have been reading so many other posts lately and find even more strength when I do this. I have to commend the other survivors that take the time to blog. You provide strength to those who need it.
Dec. 3, 2005 — - People have been known to do strange things in their sleep -- walking, talking. But rape?
Jan Luedecke, a Canadian man, recently was acquitted of the crime because he claimed he was asleep when he forced himself on a woman he didn't know. The two had fallen asleep on the same sofa after a party. They both had been drinking. When she awoke, Luedecke, 33, was having sex with her. She pushed him away and he said he awoke only when he hit the floor.
"He says that he had no memory of having sex with anybody," said Natalie Pona, a reporter for the Toronto Sun. "And he, in fact, didn't know an assault had occurred until he woke up to use the washroom and found he was still wearing a condom." A Sleep Disorder
In court Dr. Colin Shapiro testified that Luedecke suffers from "parasomnia" -- a condition in which people do strange things in their sleep. One of its symptoms is engaging in sleep sex. Doctors say fatigue, stress, drugs and alcohol may trigger a parasomnia episode, and most people do not recall their behavior once they wake up. Shapiro said he tested Luedecke himself and that his brain displayed symptoms of parasomnia. "If you accept that people can do odd things in their sleep … then there are certain actions that happen automatically in a sleep sequence," Shapiro said. "The key issue here is that if the person is asleep, then they are not legally responsible." Disorder or not, some women's groups are furious.
"This person had non-consensual sex with her, and whether it's a disorder or not there has to be some level of accountability," said Chris Leonard of Toronto Rape Crisis Center. Other Sleepwalking Cases According to the University of Toronto Center for Sleep Studies, 2.5 percent of adults suffer from parasomnia. Experts say the number of those who engage in sleep sex is unknown and probably under-reported.
"We've had people prepare meals in their sleep" said Dr. Mark Mahowal, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. "We've had people drive long distances in their sleep. We've had people go next door to borrow a cup of sugar in their sleep. And there's no question about the fact that people can have sexual activity during their sleep without conscious awareness of it."
Recently, there have been several prominent cases involving sleep in the United States. In 2002, a Massachusetts jury cleared a 19-year-old man of assaulting a woman in a college dormitory. He had a history of sleepwalking, but was acquitted because none of the women could identify him.
Also in Massachusetts, a 34-year-old man plead guilty to fondling 11- and 13-year-old girls. But he claims he suffers from sexsomnia and wasn't responsible for his behavior. The girls' mother said she believed his sexsomnia defense. Eight years ago, an Arizona man, Scott Falater, claimed he was asleep when he drowned his wife and then stabbed her 44 times. Nonetheless, he was found guilty.
"It is something that is going to haunt me forever," he told the court. As for Luedecke, he escaped the clause in Canadian law which says that those found not criminally responsible for the crimes they commit must undergo a mental evaluation. Because the judge determined him to be competent, Luedecke will neither undergo an evaluation nor serve jail time. The woman who accused him however, says she will take the case all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court.
Statistics - We all Make the mistake of Not reporting
Rapes Still Not Being ReportedThe National Crime Victimization Survey includes statistics on reported and unreported crimes in America. Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, with more than half still being left unreported. Utilizing services such as The National Sexual Assault Hotline can help encourage victims to get help and report what has happened to them so that more perpetrators can be brought to justice. Males are the least likely to report a sexual assault, though it is estimated they make up 10% of all victims. Young females are four times more likely than any other group to be a victim of sexual assault. Is the incidence of rape and sexual assault increasing or decreasing in America?Have you heard about crime declining? It is true (as best we can tell). While figures for any single year are considered somewhat unreliable because they are based on a small sample size, the more-reliable longterm trend looks extremely good. Since 1993, rape/sexual assault has fallen by more than half.
Key Facts Every two and a half minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted. One in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape, and 10% of sexual assault victims are men. In 2003-2004, there were an average annual 204,370 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30. Since 1993, rape/sexual assault has fallen by over 64%.
Of the average annual 204,370 victims in 2003-2004, about 65,510 were victims of completed rape, 43,440 were victims of attempted rape, and 95,420 were victims of sexual assault. Because of the methodology of the National Crime Victimization Survey, these figures do not include victims 12 or younger. The Justice Department has estimated that one of six victims are under age 12.
Contrary to the belief that rapists are hiding in the bushes or in the shadows of the parking garage, almost two-thirds of all rapes were committed by someone who is known to the victim. 67% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger – 47% of perpetrators were a friend or acquaintance of the victim, 17% were an intimate and 3% were another relative.National Crime Victimization Survey, 2004
I will start off with my story. Yes, I am a rape victim. One of the two percent of the population that does not know who my rapist is. I was quite young when it happened to me - and made incredibly stupid mistakes.
Fear at the time, got the better of me. I did not report my incident, and suffered severe consequences. Its been over 10 years now, and the scar has not totally dissolved. By today, I can truthfully say, it was not my fault and I reacted incorrectly.
Today, I do share my stories with dear friends who have suffered similar situations, or even not similar situations. It is very important for parents to look for tell tale signs in their children and important for victims to know that help is out there and should be entertained. Many people keep their mouths shut (like I did) for fear of what others will think or fear of what their attacker may do. If we do not rise against this evil, it will never go away. If I could go back in time, I would change how I reacted, and I would face the situation with more vigour. If you are a victim, I encourage you to do the same.
