“Rape myths cause real harm. They prevent people from coming forward, they allow perpetrators to escape justice, and they undermine our entire criminal justice system.”
Organisations offering support to survivors of sexual violence in Northern Ireland are taking part in a campaign challenging misconceptions about rape.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said she believed the campaign would help raise awareness around the realities of sexual violence.
The Department of Justice is launching the second phase of the Rape Myths = Real Harm campaign.
Support organisations have said that misconceptions about sexual violence can make survivors doubt their own experience or feel afraid about reporting.
The minister said the campaign would tackle misconceptions around the offence of rape including the way a survivor is dressed, their age or sexuality, whether they have consented to sexual activity previously and whether the attack is reported straight away.
Videos featuring representatives from organisations such as Nexus and Women’s Aid will be published across the department’s social media channels.
This phase builds on the first phase of the campaign, launched in March, which saw 12 graphics challenging commonly held myths about sexual offending shared across social media.
The 2019 Gillen Review into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in Northern Ireland dedicated a chapter to the impact rape myths can have both on society and on jury verdicts in serious sexual offence trials.
Karen Devlin, from Women’s Aid, features in one of the videos in the campaign.
She said: “Rape myths are assumptions made in society that inform attitudes and behaviours and how we treat the subject of rape and sexual assault, how we treat the victims and the dismissive attitudes towards victims and how we deal with perpetrators.
“There are a number of myths in society, the most common one being that you are most likely to be raped by a stranger.
“It is one of those things we are trying to shift culturally. It is going to take time to do so but we are starting to see that change.
“More people are coming forward and reporting what has been happening.
“Unfortunately, rape and sexual assault are shrouded with secrecy.”
She added: “It can be a case of why didn’t you report it earlier or why didn’t you say something at the time or what were you wearing when it happened, were you drinking alcohol.
“Things like that are victim-blaming language and it really takes away the onus on the perpetrator.
“That is why it is important we challenge those myths wherever we can to break down those barriers so victims and survivors can get the help they need and perpetrators can be held accountable.”
Joanne Barnes, chief executive of Nexus, said: “Myths about sexual violence can cause real harm to survivors – making them doubt their own experiences or feel afraid to come forward.
“At Nexus NI, we see this every day in our work supporting individuals with lived experience.
“This campaign is an important step in challenging those myths and helping people understand what consent really means.
“We’re proud to support this second phase which seeks to ensure a better understanding of sexual offences across our society.”
Ms Long said the campaign “confronts the myths” that surround rape and sexual violence.
She said: “The way a person is dressed, their age or sexuality, whether they have consented to sexual activity previously, perhaps a victim doesn’t report an attack straight away; these are just some of the myths this campaign is seeking to address.
“I am pleased that organisations – those working every day with victims, survivors and communities, have lent their voices to the campaign. These organisations see first-hand the real harm that rape myths cause — the shame, the self-blame, the silence.
“Their voices carry enormous weight, and I am grateful to each of them for their commitment to this campaign.
“Rape myths cause real harm. They prevent people from coming forward, they allow perpetrators to escape justice, and they undermine our entire criminal justice system.
“Together, we can shatter them.”
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