The word “rape” is one that never gets thrown about that easily as we have learned recently. For African women in some societies, being raped carries long lasting negative implications on the reputation of the raped woman. No matter how humiliated and undignified rape victims are always unfairly ostracized by society for their daunting fate. It is so sad how big men are getting away with rape offences so easily in our society today.
Women basically carry the burden of moderating morality in our society. Our social scrutiny on morality has been defined by the conduct of women and girls, generally. Being raped therefore implies moral deficit on the part of the victims and bad reputation for the woman and her family. The perpetuators of this horrendous crime usually are accorded hero status and lauded for s job well done.
Sadly, in most societies, women do not report rape not that they do not want to, but mostly because they have no voice and fear further reprimand that may lead to social isolation. Often, after they have been raped, their abysmal social position becomes a barrier that discourages them from reporting rape to the authorities.
The sad fate of the woman’s powerlessness is even made worse when men in position of power are the ones implicated in the rape. Two comparative cases involving high profile “rape” allegation this year will help to explain this and space wouldn’t let me add in a rejoinder, that of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski.
When the 32 years old Guinean Nafissatou Diallo first reported to the authorities that former IMF Executive Director and French Presidential hopeful, Dominque Strauss-Kahn had raped her on May 14, 2011, the New York City authority responded swiftly and humiliatingly arrested and detained Dominque. With all the brouhaha that followed the high profile case, it eventually collapsed entirely on the “questionable” character and reputation of the accuser.
Just as DSK’s case was winding down, in Uganda, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Venansius Baryamureeba was in the news for rape, impregnation and abundonement. This follows a Uganda Human Rights Commission’s investigation into the case of unnamed 26 years old female student who claimed that the Professor intoxicated her and then raped her. She was therefore carrying an illegitimate fetus resulting from rape. Like Ms Diallo’s case, the allegation against the VC also collapsed under very eccentric circumstance.
The two set pieces cited above compares quite well because of their similar characteristic, plot and ending. Both DSK and Prof Barya are distinguished member of the society and in very influential positions. The two victims are simple women in no position of power and influence. Both women were subsumed by the very tide of their absurd experiences – rape.
The manner in which these cases dissolved only reveals the consistency in the pattern of how rape as a criminal act is very difficult to prove or prosecuted when big men are involved. Most men in position of power have been able to emerge unscathed from allegations of rape and that leaves the woman/victim in worse off position.
The woman is ripped off credibility and decency and she appears like a shameless liar and scoundrel. Often, everyone begins to think or speculate that such women resort to rape allegation to blackmail for money. The perpetuators walk away with swagger of a hero and brags to you that “you see, didn’t I tell you she was tripping?”
Our lesson could as well be well laid down for us, that rape is a crime for the poor committed against poor women and not the powerful. Accusing a powerful person of rape can only embarrass them momentarily. It can temporarily erode their reputation as we saw with DSK, but at the end of it all, the fact that the woman was sexually assaulted remains largely ignored or downgraded. In unprincipled and unprofessional environment like Uganda, they whole story lingers a bit in the corridors of power and dies a natural death in few days.
I pity the woman in our villages and peri-urban slum dwellings that are exposed to the current economic hardships. Lots of reports are indicating that some parents do actually pray for their daughters to get raped by a rich person so they can initiate negotiation for settlement “out of court”.
The Guardian Newspaper recently reported that in Uganda, trend of rape reporting have been changing with more women attempting to report rape or sexual violence incidences. For instance, according to the Guardian, in 2007, there were 599 rape cases reported to Uganda Police and 1,536 cases of sexual violence related cases were registered. In 2010 the Police in Eastern Uganda recorded 5, 515 cases of sexual violence of which 2,564 were under investigation. Another 1,745 culprits had appeared in court, and 1,721 suspects have been charged with at least 388 convictions secured. These are encouraging figures, but considering the constraints experienced by the Ugandan authorities, women have continued to experience delayed justice.
Rest assured, those who face the wrath of the justice system are peasants, the poor and the desolate petty criminals. The real rapists in suits and shinny shoes never seem to commit rape.
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