Rape and the justice system

Oh, for the day when those who rape are actually convicted without the complainant being further brutalised by the justice system.

I was interested to read about the rape myths researcher Elisabeth McDonald describes (“Bitter justice”, March 19).

Fifty years after being raped, I can remember exactly the scene – the rapist’s face, the sounds and smell – yet do not know the date, the day of the week or the season.

There were no threats or physical violence, and I didn’t tell, scream or fight back. I was trapped; I was in a very dangerous situation and had to wait until it was over to escape. Had I screamed or fought back, I might not be here now.

I was a teenager, my rapist a man in his 30s: a trusted friend of my boyfriend.

I would not have fared well in a court, where rape myths abounded in the minds of juries and, likely, judges. The fact that under one-third of those charged were convicted in 2020-21 tells its own story.

My prayer is for a process where an expert in the psychology of reactions to rape gets to interview the complainant and then presents the findings to a judicial panel also trained in understanding rape.

Maybe then those who rape will find themselves behind bars, and future victims