There are thousands a year, more go unreported. The stat is something like 1 in 4 or 5 women will be raped at least once in their lifetime – women generally wonder when it’s going to happen to them rather than if it’s going to happen to them.

This is why rape jokes aren’t funny :/

@ Eleen – that figure sounds very high. 1 in 4 or 5. So you are saying 25% of the female population gets raped (and that there are more unreported ones)? If that is the case I would have thought there would be more noise around it. Are you sure?

It wouldn’t surprise me Simon if it is that high, I often deal with rape victims in the course of my work and less than 10% of them ever go to the gardai.

Figures released from the UK a few years ago had reported cases of rape coming in at 230 a day, which ultimately meant that 1 in every 200 women in the UK had reported themselves as raped during that year alone. (2006 or 07, can’t remember which one)

I think world-wide the stats are 1-3 and in Ireland it’s 1-5 but I haven’t the time to google it.

The problem is that when you grow up in this culture, as a girl you learn to just take it as the reality. From an early age you’re told not to wear certain things so you won’t get into trouble, and so you think it’s kind of up to you if you end up getting raped or not. You blame yourself and you’re deeply ashamed. No woman wants to think about it or talk about it – so we just put our heads down and hope for the best.

Women are often the harshest on survivors of rape: they’re quicker to blame the victim, because deep down they’re terrified that it could happen to them too, and at least if there was a reason (“well she shouldn’t have worn that slutty dress, that’s the reason she was raped, and I would never do that so I’m safe!”) then they won’t feel terrified. It’s easier to think you can control it than to realise the truth: that we’re all at high risk and many of us will have it happen to us.

I personally know quite a few who have gone thought it – and they’re just the ones who feel they can confide in me. I’ve been lucky so far but I think about it all the time as does every other woman.

I never reported mine to the Gardaí because it was my partner at the time who did it, and I didn’t realise that it counted as rape until I spoke to my counsellor about it a year or so later.

I was always under the impression that it wasn’t really rape unless you were kicking and screaming to fight some strange guy off you in an alleyway. That was the impression I was given with the “watch what you wear / go, don’t walk alone in alleys, watch your drink in nightclubs” advice..

But when you say you don’t want to, and your partner does anyway – even though you said no – even if you gave in to the pressure just to make it stop because you couldn’t take it anymore – that is rape. As is having sex with someone who is unconscious or asleep.
Sadly, in my experience, there are some guys who don’t seem to understand this.. Thankfully they are in the minority, but they do exist.

Well, actually it doesn’t say how they killed their babies, could have been the state for all we know. My taxes slaughtering infants, for shame on them all….

Shut up Michael.

I’m just saying what the silent majority (as evidenced by lack of green arrows) are thinking.

Michael Hayes, have some compassion, how would you feel if you were raped and part of the rapist was still in you?

@Michael,
The silent majority can click a green thumb whilst remaining silent.
Maybe it’s the computer illiterate majority you’re thinking of?

@Michael
Terribly insensitive comment to infer that a woman pregnant as a result of rape that chooses abortion is ‘killing an infant’.

All women deserve access to safe, accessible abortion services in Ireland. Not just those who are raped, carrying a non-viable fetus or facing imminent death (likely outcome legislation/ regulation). All women. One does not have to agree with abortion but acknowledge the current system is forcing thousands of vulnerable women in the midst of a crisis pregnancy abroad, with resultant negative social, psychological and physical health effects on women.

@michael, don’t you mean minority(that’s the smaller group) we have had 2 abortion related referendums one in 1992 for the right to travel and seek advice on abortion(like they could stop anyone traveling..
Again in
2002 for the right to abortion
On both occasions the yes vote won by clear majority

Well I think it’s interesting that you complain about “bigotry” while in the same post you seek to limit the input of people whose colour, sex or nationality you don’t approve of

@chuck. I don’t think that’s what she’s saying at all…

@chuck

Chuck – i am not talking about restricting the imput of anyone. far from it. Women and vulnerable in irish society are restricted by certain aspects of our law. Regarding men commenting on abortion i never said they should or should not. You have twisted my words. I made an observation and commented on same.

law.

Editorial comment

* that’s input not imput and ignore the free floating ‘law’ at the end!!

Not used to the keypad on my husband’s iPhone ( who by the way chuck, as a white Irish male, has plenty to say on abortion and he and I share the same beliefs regarding same).

Well how generous of you to let him speak, but why comment on race and sex at all? Lots of women’s groups had their say on the matter of anonymity for those accused of rape, even though they’ll never be in that position

Which leads me on to my next point; how on earth are “women and vulnerable” restricted by our laws? Our laws state that only men can be convicted of rape and underage boys who have sex with their girlfriends are de facto raping them. Our courts give men harsher sentences for the same crimes and routinely deny men access to their children. Our state pays child support to the mother no matter who has custody and unmarried fathers depend 100% on the word of the mother to even have their existence acknowledged. We also don’t provide a single bed anywhere in the country for a man fleeing an abusive woman, which is one of the reasons why 85% of the homeless are men

So tell me again who’s vulnerable

@ b Collins

So true. Today, as a society, we collectively look on with horror re clerical child abuse, magdalene laundries etc where once Irish society turned a blind eye. Perhaps one day we will collectively look with horror how Irish society ( as reflected in our law) currently treats women who become pregnant from rape. I hope that day won’t be long coming and that we don’t have to wait another 20 years.

No ones laughing pierce.

You don’t think the potential father (obviously not in the case of rape) should be included in the decision?

Kevin, I was laughing at the attitude of the Middle East states, rape I one of the most serious crimes that a human can commit, barbaric, permanent and one where the punishments are in my opinion way too light.

Aaron, the article is about rape, that’s what I am commenting on.

NO

A say yes. The deciding vote absolutely no.

@Aaron. We can have a say yes but ultimately it isn’t our choice as it isn’t out body.

Looking at it rationally, let’s say your partner becomes pregnant and decides to terminate it. You want to keep it, you talk to her and try to change her mind but in the end she decides for termination. What’s your next course of action to stop this happening? Lawfully all you can do is talk to her again, but it will still be her making the decision at the end of the day.

My cousin of mine was raped by a person who was known to her, but not involved with her. The child she conceived is now 6 and is very much loved by her and all her family.

Some people choose to keep baby, they shouldn’t be condemned or made feel ashamed for keeping the baby.

@karla

That is true karla. But what for those who do not want to go through with the pregnancy?

I reckon a woman who finds herself pregnant as a result of rape should receive whatever support, counselling and treatment she needs to do what is best for her. Whether that be to keep the baby, offer it for adoption or have an abortion. But it should be a decision that she gets to make – no one should force her in any direction, she’s already been forced into sex against her consent.

If we could simply offer her all of these options as standard then perhaps pro choice and pro life sides could stop fighting and start working together to improve conditions and supports for babies once they are born so that abortion doesn’t seem like the only option to as many. We could work together on prevention of unwanted pregnancy by promoting factual sex, relationship and emotional education and free contraception so even though abortion is permitted – as few happen as possible..

Women will seek out abortion if they want to, this is a fact of life as much as pregnancy itself, they’ve done it since they discovered the right toxins.. If it is legal and regulated, then at least it is done safely. There is a far larger problem behind abortion, and outlawing it doesn’t do anything to help resolve that problem.

Karla how can you not see the irony in your comment?

Shanti – well said.

The estimate is 75% to 95% of rapes go unreported so these figures are massively conservative at best.

When will the catholic bishops allow women to be priest In this country time for change

So many fallacies I’m not sure where to start.. So you would force a woman to be used as an incubator, even though the sex that created that embryo was non consensual? You would give her no say whatsoever in autonomy over her own body..

Can you not see what is inherently wrong with this view? Or do you simply not care?