Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth is causing quite a stir with her latest Guardian article and she'll be with us today from New York to take your questions and comments.
Julie emailed: I am one of the one in four statistics. I agree that women need to named when accusing a man or in my case men of rape. Anonymity of the victim helps perpetuate rape because it helps perpetuate the cultural shame of the victim. What is perhaps missing here is that the women who choose to be named are pioneers of helping to clear the shame from rape and not all women have the courage to do so.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:28
113631290
Lauren,a Sexual Assault survivor in the USA: I am frustrated that you are not airing an opposing view to Naomi Wolf's opinion on victims of rape and sexual assault being named publicly. Sexual assault and rape are unique crimes. Women frequently do not report these crimes, because they are so often subject to blame, doubt, shame, and intense public scrutiny. People who experience sexual assault have a right to privacy, and to live their lives free of the stigma and backlash attached to sexual assault by our culture and media. Naomi Wolf does not speak for me.
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18:27
113631290
Mary by email: When women are no longer blamed for being raped is when they can be named. How often have we all heard that a rape victim was asking for it by the way she acted or the way she was dressed? When we get over this Victorian notion that it's all the woman's fault is when things will change. Until then, allow the victims to remain anonymous
Comment sent via Twitter
18:25
115750224
@Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS Should women give up their anonymity in rape cases to improve the conviction rate? Conversation is very moving.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:25
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Allison responding to the daily email: I am in shock that such a titan of feminism can turn her back on it so easily first by saying Assange was captured by the world's "Dating Police" and now by saying victims shouldn't have privacy. The ability to say "I was assaulted" and not have your photo on the front page of a newspaper might be the only way for traumatized individuals to come forward, get justice for victims of assault and have some of the power that was taken from them, restored.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:22
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Kevin on email
I agree with Ms. Wolf, because while allowing these victims to accuse anonymously may appear to be less traumatic, it also allows them to be less precise. If they have to face the person that they are accusing, perhaps there will be less false accusations
Comment sent via Facebook
18:21
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Dishant in India on FB: This may cause more emotional problems for the victim.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:21
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Amanda in Salt Lake City on FB: Victims of sexual assault should have the choice of whether they want to be named or not. Automatically naming them for the public to know is taking another choice away from them; the first choice taken away being the sexual assault. It would ultimately be harmful to victims for them to be named when they do not want to. It is a dangerous road to go down.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:21
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Vuti in Zambia on FB: It's up to the victims themselves. But how is losing anonymity going to help in reducing sex crimes?
Comment sent via Twitter
18:17
116088306
YES! Helen from Belfast will not let Naomi Wolf patronise her on @Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS.
Comment sent via Twitter
18:19
116088938
On assignment today for @Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS. Fascinating discussion on whether rape victims should give up their anonymity. Surprised by responses.
Comment sent via Twitter
18:11
116088861
@Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS Is Ms. Wolf aware that rape victims, when revealed, may be harassed, threatened, or attacked?
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:15
113631290
(rape victim Sara) - Listening to what Naomi is saying, I really don't think you can argue the correlation between anonymity/low conviction rates = causation- I think we've had a social shift towards recognising rape in situations where it's simply very difficult to prove.
Comment sent via Twitter
18:07
116088019
I'm on @Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS right now, and they introduced me as one of the world's best known feminists. Because I'm awesome.
Comment sent via host
18:09
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American feminist, Naomi Wolf, thinks anonymity does not help victims. She joins us to take your comments and questions (please inc your location). Should victims of sex crimes be named?
Should sex-crime accusers be named?
| Friday, 1 Jan. 2011 | 17:59 - 19:00 GMT
Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth is causing quite a stir with her latest Guardian article and she'll be with us today from New York to take your questions and comments.
Your comments
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Julie emailed: I am one of the one in four statistics. I agree that women need to named when accusing a man or in my case men of rape. Anonymity of the victim helps perpetuate rape because it helps perpetuate the cultural shame of the victim. What is perhaps missing here is that the women who choose to be named are pioneers of helping to clear the shame from rape and not all women have the courage to do so.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Lauren,a Sexual Assault survivor in the USA: I am frustrated that you are not airing an opposing view to Naomi Wolf's opinion on victims of rape and sexual assault being named publicly. Sexual assault and rape are unique crimes. Women frequently do not report these crimes, because they are so often subject to blame, doubt, shame, and intense public scrutiny. People who experience sexual assault have a right to privacy, and to live their lives free of the stigma and backlash attached to sexual assault by our culture and media. Naomi Wolf does not speak for me.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Mary by email: When women are no longer blamed for being raped is when they can be named. How often have we all heard that a rape victim was asking for it by the way she acted or the way she was dressed? When we get over this Victorian notion that it's all the woman's fault is when things will change. Until then, allow the victims to remain anonymous
Comment sent via Twitter
@Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS Should women give up their anonymity in rape cases to improve the conviction rate? Conversation is very moving.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Allison responding to the daily email: I am in shock that such a titan of feminism can turn her back on it so easily first by saying Assange was captured by the world's "Dating Police" and now by saying victims shouldn't have privacy. The ability to say "I was assaulted" and not have your photo on the front page of a newspaper might be the only way for traumatized individuals to come forward, get justice for victims of assault and have some of the power that was taken from them, restored.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Kevin on email I agree with Ms. Wolf, because while allowing these victims to accuse anonymously may appear to be less traumatic, it also allows them to be less precise. If they have to face the person that they are accusing, perhaps there will be less false accusations
Comment sent via Facebook
Dishant in India on FB: This may cause more emotional problems for the victim.
Comment sent via Facebook
Amanda in Salt Lake City on FB: Victims of sexual assault should have the choice of whether they want to be named or not. Automatically naming them for the public to know is taking another choice away from them; the first choice taken away being the sexual assault. It would ultimately be harmful to victims for them to be named when they do not want to. It is a dangerous road to go down.
Comment sent via Facebook
Vuti in Zambia on FB: It's up to the victims themselves. But how is losing anonymity going to help in reducing sex crimes?
Comment sent via Twitter
YES! Helen from Belfast will not let Naomi Wolf patronise her on @Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS.
Comment sent via Twitter
On assignment today for @Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS. Fascinating discussion on whether rape victims should give up their anonymity. Surprised by responses.
Comment sent via Twitter
@Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS Is Ms. Wolf aware that rape victims, when revealed, may be harassed, threatened, or attacked?
Comment sent via YOURSAY
(rape victim Sara) - Listening to what Naomi is saying, I really don't think you can argue the correlation between anonymity/low conviction rates = causation- I think we've had a social shift towards recognising rape in situations where it's simply very difficult to prove.
Comment sent via Twitter
I'm on @Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ_WHYS right now, and they introduced me as one of the world's best known feminists. Because I'm awesome.
Comment sent via host
American feminist, Naomi Wolf, thinks anonymity does not help victims. She joins us to take your comments and questions (please inc your location). Should victims of sex crimes be named?