Rape again: where's Detective Kima Greggs when you need her?

[la_marquise]

The estimable Jim Hines has a wonderful post about rape and policing prejudices. He's reacting specifically to things that have been happening in Baltimore, but there are wider implications. It's not so long since we had a case here of a serving police officer raping a woman who was in his custody. It sounds simplistic, but the problems around rape and the treatment of rape won't go away until we have a major shift away from the cultural values we still have around the treatment of women. (And of men -- I suspect that police officers like these would be even less supportive of male rape victims.)
Jim's piece is here: http://jimhines.livejournal.com/515112.html
It's well worth a look.

And -- as during the long reign of Dubya -- I am yearning for a fictional character to be real. Kima would never, ever, let behaviour like this ride. Nor would Lester, for that matter.

I thought long and hard about posting this, because I know it's a distressing and upsetting topic, and I really don't want to upset any of my friends. But it matters, and instances like the malpractice in Baltimore are one of the many reasons why so many women -- including me -- are so very preachy about the subject. I am not dissing any of you, I swear. I'm just worrying.

Comments

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're being preachy at all. As one commentator to the piece said, 'Break the Silence'.

I think all of us have a responsibility to speak out on the issues that impact on our lives as part of a community. If people don't want to read distressing material, maybe they should sign up to cooking blogs....

[dorispossum.livejournal.com]

We have a problem, obviously. One of the main ones being that - with a few honourable exceptions - the majority of adult men are unwilling to engage with the issue, in particular by taking on the essential responsibility for educating their boys in a more positive attitude to women - and their own sexuality.

The article below was anthologised in one of the journalism texts I was teaching this year - kind of says it all:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jun/05/gender.ukcrime

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That is heartbreaking. And it was 2004: I note the level of reporting remains almost nil.

[valydiarosada.livejournal.com]

I don't think you sound preachy at all. Thank you for posting this.