#BeenRapedNeverReported: Thousands of Rape Victims Worldwide Speak Up in Twitter Campaign
A campaign aimed at highlighting the struggle of rape victims to report their abuse has been launched on Twitter.
Under the hashtag #beenrapedneverreported, users share their personal experience of sexual abuse and explain why they never reported the rape.
#BeenRapedNeverReported appears to have been started by Antonia Zerbisias, a writer for The Toronto Star, after actress Lucy DeCoutere, together with other eight women, accused former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi of sexual violence.
Some Twitter users said that the reason behind their silence was that they were raped during childhood and therefore they were too young to understand the violence they had been subjected to.
#BeenRapedNeverReported When you're 12 & own parents won't protect you, of course you don't report. Too young to know what to do.
— PrincipleNotPolitics (@ReallyIvy) October 31, 2014As a kid molested at age 6, took me yrs to admit to myself it happened. My attacker died by then. I'm with u: #beenrapedneverreported
— Anthony Permal (@anthonypermal) October 31, 2014Others were too shocked to admit they had been raped by someone they knew.
#beenrapedneverreported because the idea of rape ingrained in my brain was of a man in the bushes, not someone i knew/loved/trusted
— jenna marg (@jenna_marg) October 31, 2014'A living nightmare when the perpetrator is ur own family members, still alive & acted like nothing happened'-Anon- #beenrapedneverreported
— Diese aka Anis M. (@Diese) October 31, 2014Some people confessed they were afraid of repercussions, including being murdered, if they had spoken up.
I understand why women don't come forward. One risks everything; career, financial security, family, friends. #beenrapedneverreported
— Mike Sloan (@mikelondoncan) October 31, 2014I had already lost my childhood, my virginity and my self worth I was afraid, and I didn't want to lose any more. #BeenRapedNeverReported
— Gabrielle Miller (@MillerGabrielle) October 31, 2014Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them. ~Magaret Atwood #beenrapedneverreported
— Meghan (@socialistchickn) October 31, 2014Others also highlighted the difficulties people encounter during investigations, after they accuse someone of rape.
As a victim who reported I understand why some wont. The cross examination haunts me. I did it to protect others. #beenrapedneverreported
— Sierra Noble (@SierraNoble) October 31, 2014Being raped was horrible. Trying to report it & then being made to feel it was my fault was worse. #beenrapedneverreported
— kittypoet (@kittypoet) October 31, 2014The first question the police asked was, "what were you wearing?". I was 10. #beenrapedneverreported <3
— NecronomikaBlack (@VeronikaSwartz) October 31, 2014The courage of rape victims to publicly speak about their experience has met the admiration of hundreds of users, most of whom have committed to reporting anyone who trolls those willing to speak about their abuses.
Urging all men on my TL & others, we need to gang up & report every single person trolling #beenrapedneverreported so women can speak freely
— Anthony Permal (@anthonypermal) October 31, 2014OMG these brave women! #BeenRapedNeverReported so proud of you all!
— Amnesiac (@xAmnesiacx) October 30, 2014© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.
