Rape Of Aussie Tourist

[donna]

i wouldnt bother arguing against many people sbk. it appears that the woman is at fault for being in the country.

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm removing an off-topic attempt to be clever, which also references the mods. Further such attempts on this thread will earn warnings. Let it go.

"S"

[Yatsam]

This woman was raped in her room at night. Assigning blame onto the victim in this case is ridiculous.

The fact is that women who put themselves into risky situations need to be aware that 1) those situations are risky --many tourists in Thailand assume that, since it promotes itself as a world class beach destination, that it is safe for women on the beach. and 2) cultural norms of behavior can increase ones risk of assault. Are these women aware of these facts? I don't know but are the men who find themselves ripped off by their girlfriends aware of the attitudes of many Thai girls that farang are there to be fleeced? Is it then the man's fault because he should have known better?

I find it interesting that so many posters are ignoring the facts of this particular case in order to make their arguments. It seems to me, that it doesn't necessarily matter what a girl is wearing or where she is at in order for her to be the target of a rapist. And this is the idea that many posters seem to fail to grasp.

Agree!

[photojourn]

I don't know how to make it any clearer, but ANY posts that veer in the direction, however so slightly, of "well, maybe her shirt was too tight or maybe she was wearing a bikini or maybe she wasn't culturally sensitive or maybe she took a sunbath or maybe she was just too pretty or maybe it was her fault because she didn't have the sense to have a crowd of stormtrooper bodyguards with her"....

WILL earn warnings, and from this point in this particular thread also posting holidays.

"S"

Should be the policy in all such cases.

Time for a zero tolerance policy for comments along this line in cases such as this.

[bonobo]

I suppose She escaped with her life is a little bit of compensation...but not much. She has to live with what happened and will mentally scar her for the rest of her life. Poor girl.

Escaping with her life is a huge compensation. She hopefully has many years of happiness ahead of her.

However, you are right in that this will scar her, to some degree, at least. Maybe it will make her paranoid and not able to trust men, maybe it will be merely a minor irritation as she gets older. Who knows to what level it will affect her? But I can assure you it most likely will.

I am a strong-willed man with a strong ego. I have lived a great life. But when I was 12, I was brutally raped by a man while on a family vacation. I "recovered" physically, and most thought in all ways, and I guess I have. But I was arrested for shoplifting condoms a few months later. I am not sure why I even took them, just some vague idea of having hetrosexual sex to "cleanse" myself. And I have gone through life with now close to a thousand sexual partners. I don't even enjoy the sex that much, but I am driven. (At least I have never even once been violent and genuinely work to please each woman.) Would I have the same compulsion had I not been raped? I do not know. Maybe I am just using that as an excuse. But my thoughts still drift to that December day so long ago, not with malice or anger anymore, but with a sense of wistfull regret.

So my heart goes out to this young woman, as it does to any victim. I hope she has the strength or character to get on with a happy, fruitful life. But yes, this event will scar her to at least some degree.

[donna]

well put bonobo.

the fact that you were raped and have gone on to live a happy life is positive. the best way to recover from anything is to forgive the person and move on with your life. i dont know if we can ever move on without forgiveness. this doesnt mean to forget it, and nor does it mean to love the one who assaulted you, but you have proven that life does go on.

i know more than one woman who has been raped. one of these women was raped in her home by a 'friend'. she was asleep in her bed. a few friends had stayed over at her house and the next thing, this 'man' was on top of her forcing himself upon her. i know she didnt 'ask for it'.

she is scarred, for sure. but it has not prevented her from moving on with her life and forming a loving relationship with her husband.

the reason this particular woman was raped is probably no more than the simple fact that she is a woman.