CHRISSIE Hynde was someone who I always admired, but that certainly changed this week.
The frontwoman for the brilliant band The Pretenders has made some crazy statements in her new book.
She wrote about her own rape experience when she was 21 and attributed the blame to herself.
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She said that she has to accept the responsibility for the rape occurring, by the fact that she went on a motorbike with a gang member who, instead of taking her to a party as promised, took her to an empty house and raped her.
Hynde said that she does not blame the attacker. This would all be somewhat acceptable as only she and her attacker knows what happened. It was what she wrote afterwards that got my blood boiling.
“Women who wear revealing clothes are asking for it.”
“If I am walking around in my underwear and I am drunk? Who else’s fault can it be?” she wrote.
What the hell is she thinking? Rape is NEVER the victim’s fault. The crime is ALWAYS the perpetrator’s fault.
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What is very sad about her statement is that right now all over the country there is a woman, a man or a child too scared to report a sexual crime.
Reading something as off the wall as this only deepens their fears of reporting it and getting help.
Rape is a horrific crime and long after the phyiscal scars heal, the mental wounds are there. Unfortunately a lot of crimes go unreported and therefore the figures can never really be accurate.
Sure, I get that people get annoyed seeing young girls dressed in a provoacative manner and I totally agree. This does not give an attacker the right to strike.
I have said in the past that children should be allowed dress as children and I stand by this. Playing dress up in the confines of the home is certainly acceptable but that is where it should stay.
Unfortunately, with the age of social media, girls as young as ten see stars such as Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian as role models. Because of this, they like to emulate their dress sense.
Women are still seen as sex objects to some men (not all) and this has to stop. A few years ago, when notorious rapist Larry Murphy was released from prison, there was a public outcry as he had refused therapy while in jail and he was now free to roam our streets.
There was a huge element of fear as to where he would live. He did, however, leave the country and according to a subsequent documenatry, was shown to be living in Holland. Is it right that we just export our problems?
Our court systems seem to be failing victims constantly. Our Gardai do stellar work in bringing these beasts to justice and have to then hope that the presiding judge gives these monsters the sentences that the deserve.
I am not ashamed to say that I would love to see chemical castration forced on them.
Chrissie Hynde has opened a can of worms with her book and I hope that she has the grace to retract her ridiculous statement. Rape is a crime! Victims are survivors. I will leave you with a quote from a survivor.
“Someone once asked me how I hold my head up so high after all I’ve been through. I said, it’s because no matter what I am a survivor. Not a victim” – Patricia Buckley
Until next week,
Look after each other!
Orlagh xx
