|
|
Consequences of Criminal Rape
Real rape is a heinous crime. It is not the same thing
as sexual force imagined in fantasy, described in
stories or depicted in movies. It does unimaginable
emotional damage to the victim.
A potential rapist may believe, in his fantasies, that
he will have total control over the situation and the
victim. However, nearly half of assaults fail or are
interrupted.1 Whether the rapist completes the crime or
not, the assault is frequently prosecuted. The crime is
a felony, and can result in a long prison sentence.
Most assaults are not by strangers -- the victim usually
knows the assailant and can identify them to police.2
All men in prisons are at an abnormally high risk for
being raped by other males.3 But convicted rapists
serving time are at even higher risk than others --
being orally raped, anally raped, gang raped, attacked
or murdered by other inmates.
After being raped in prison, the criminal may experience
many of the usual side effects of rape victims: post
traumatic stress disorder, rape trauma syndrome,
perpetual fear, nightmares, flashbacks, self-hatred,
substance abuse, depression, suicide.
The average sentence served for rape is 90 months (more
than 7 years)4, and some rapists receive life sentences,
so they may be assaulted repeatedly while in prison.
If a rapist survives his prison time, life does not
return to normal after he is released. Convicted rapists
must register their whereabouts in a national database
which is accessible online to all citizens. The
convicted sex offender's face is shown along with his
exact address. He can never escape his past. He faces a
lifetime of difficulty in trying to find work or a place
to live.
This is as it should be, for a rapist should pay for his
actions for the rest of his life.
Back to Homepage
1. Reported rapes and sexual assaults totaled 247,730 in
2002. Of these cases, 87,010 were rapes, and 70,050 of
those cases were attempted rapes. (Bureau of Justice
Statistics 2003. National Crime Victimization Survey
Crime Victimization, 2002. Washington, DC U.S.
Department of Justice.)
2. There were .4 rapes among persons 12 or older per
1,000 people in 2002. In 52 percent of these
victimizations, the offender was an intimate, another
relative, a friend, or acquaintance of the victim.
(Ibid.)
Nearly 7 in 10 rape and sexual assault victims knew
their attacker prior to their assault. (Rennison, C.,
U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2000)
90% of rape victims attending colleges know their
offenders. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000)
Approximately 84% of sexual assault victims know their
rapistin some way (“acquaintance rape”).(“Rape in
America: A Report to the Nation.” 1992. National Center
for Victims of Crime.)
3. The results of several surveys conducted since 1994
on rape and sexual assault inside prisons indicate that
conservatively speaking, one in 10 of all male prisoners
in the United States correctional system have been
raped, sexually assaulted, or coerced into sexual
activity by other inmates. (Human Rights Watch. 2001. No
Escape, Male Rape in U.S. Prisons. New York, NY.)
4. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fssc02.pdf
The legal definition of rape:
Forced sexual intercourse including both psychological
coercion as well as physical force. Forced sexual
intercourse means penetration by the offender(s).
Includes attempted rapes, male as well as female
victims, and both heterosexual and homosexual rape.
Attempted rape includes verbal threats of rape. |
|
