A private woman’s personal story of being raped by a stranger while on her way home from work has been published in the journal Sexuality.
Sophie, a 25-year-old medical student, said the assault took place on the morning of January 29.
Sydney University student Sydney Taneja, who went on to become a nurse, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) the woman had been in her car on the way to work when a man drove up beside her and groped her breasts and genitals.
She said the man then drove off.
Sandra Molloy, the chief executive of the National Sexual Assault Hotline, said she was glad that Sophie’s story was being shared with the public, and called for a change in the way victims are believed.
“It’s important for survivors to have a voice and it’s important that we have a more positive view of them and how we see them,” she said.
“We need to have more positive views of survivors and understand that they are in some way to blame for their experiences.”
This needs to change, and hopefully that will happen.
“The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney’s Department of Sociology and Psychology and the University’s School of Public Health.
Topics:sexual-offences,law-crime-and-justice,victim-blaming,police,sexual-health,sexuality,women,sexualities-and/or-transgender,social-issues,australiaFirst posted January 31, 2018 13:20:32Contact Sydney [email protected]