Rape - A New Perspective

• NCJ Number: 86856
• Author(s): C Borkenhagen
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 0 pages
• Corporate Author: Summerhill Productions
• Sale Source: MTI; Not Available Through National Institute of Justice/NCJRS Document Loan Program
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. 16 MM, 7 minutes, Color. Rental is available from the sales source.

Annotation

To illustrate the unfair treatment of rape victims by defense attorneys, this film presents a parody of a cross-examination in which a male witness is harassed for having fallen victim to a holdup.

Abstract

The questions appear to put the victim on trial rather than the offender, and are aimed at shaming and discrediting the victimized person's legitimate behaviors and motivations. The cross-examiner accuses the victim of having too much money, wearing an expensive suit, being alone on the street at night, and associating with strangers. The film suggests that this type of harassment by the justice system may be one of the reasons why only 1 out of 10 rape cases is ever reported to the authorities.