Think of the word rapist. What comes to mind? If it’s someone who lurks in dark alleyways and carries out violent assaults on strangers, then you’re only considering one type of rapist. Almost half of all rapists already know their victim. In many cases, they will be close friends or work colleagues that they socialise with. Quite often, the rapist and their victim will have previously had consensual sex. This is acquaintance rape – unwanted, forced, sexual intercourse with someone you know.
Definition of consent
In 2003, the Sexual Offences Act was changed. It’s not up to the victim to prove that something happened. The onus is on the accused to prove that they gained consent. And with support of DNA evidence, common defences such as ‘nothing happened’ can easily be proven otherwise. Knowing someone, being drunk/on drugs or having been intimate with them before is not an excuse or consent in the eyes of the law. Consent is when a person agrees to have sex and has the freedom to make that decision. If you have sex without consent, you’re committing rape. It’s that simple. In short, anything less than a yes, is a no.
Micro site
The campaign includes an interactive role playing game, Seal the Deal, which takes users on a typical night out highlighting a series of stages where a potential rapist could ‘cross the line’. The game is designed to be hard-hitting and encourages the target audience to make sure they know where the line is to prevent committing a serious criminal offence. Test your limits by visiting the microsite at www.dontcrosstheline.co.uk
Future work and further information
Although our primary focus is on acquaintance rape, throughout the year we will be running different campaigns to further increase confidence in reporting sexual offences, particularly among our black minority ethnic groups.
