An all-female produced documentary aired on Channel 4 on Monday, investigating claims of sexual assault and the barriers victims face to seeking justice.
The show was met with strong reactions from viewers, with many left outraged and in disbelief at the stats highlighted around rape cases.
Filmed over 18 months, Rape: Who’s On Trial? followed four allegations of assault, from the moment they were reported to the end of their journey.
Some cases reached court, while other victims were told there wasn’t enough evidence to charge those accused.
A segment of the Dispatches documentary focused on Deborah’s experience of reporting the moment she was sexually assaulted in a pub toilet.
Her case didn’t reach the CPS stage, something she was told on the phone by a male police officer who said there would be a ‘problem convincing everyone else’ after he watched the CCTV footage.
Several interviews were carried out, but after finding explicit pictures sent from Deborah to the alleged perpetrator on her phone, and hearing the man claim that she consented, the case was dropped.
‘I wish I hadn’t reported it because it affects your life so much, and then to get a phone call to say it doesn’t meet their point threshold is just like, ok, yeah,’ she told cameras – leaving viewers devastated.
Another case in the programme saw two friends tell police that they were raped by the same man who followed them back to their hotel room, after a night out.
One woman collapsed after kissing the stranger, before being taken into the bedroom.
The case reached court but the jury unanimously decided that the man – who had already tried to open multiple hotel room doors prior to this – was not guilty.
Those watching on from home were disgusted by comments made by one of the police officers, who claimed: ‘Just because you can’t remember consenting, doesn’t mean you didn’t consent.’
One tweeted that ‘all the programme is doing is reminding people why victims of rape don’t often report.’
‘This is exactly why women/men don’t come forward! Victim shaming at its absolute best. From the get go they didn’t believe Debbie! I am furious,’ a follower wrote.
‘#C4rape is stomach turning. F*** those police officers that were blaming the victims and the 12 members of jury that didn’t give Lucy her justice, despite the overwhelming evidence & f*** every person that thinks it’s okay to force themselves onto another person,’ a viewer vented.
Another wrote despondently: ‘I’m sad to say that absolutely nothing shocked me tonight. I’m sure most women were not shocked at all. This is how we live.’
Despite the anger, others heaped praise on the women in the documentary for sharing their experiences so publicly.
Throughout the show, statistics appeared on screen highlighting the reality of pursuing a rape charge, stating that only 14% of rape victims feel they can obtain justice by reporting to the police.
Of the mere 1.5% of rape cases that reach court, 60% end in a conviction.
Victim Support
Victim Support offers support to survivors of rape and sexual abuse. You can contact them on 0333 300 6389.
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