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Scugog Citizen --Wednesday, October 16, 1991 ~ 9 da Women search for answers in wake of sexual assault By Cathy Olliffe They ge hurting inside, these 15 women. . Angry." Afraid. Confused Searching for answers 10 questions they've never had reason to ask before. One in their number has 'been sexually assaulted and they simply do not know how to handle [8 Kelli Moffatt, director of Outreach, are well-versed with the subject, and zealously active in their fight against rape, sexual abuse and other crimes against women. They have established reputations as 'feminists', as 'cru- saders'. "We let people come to s," Jeannette says with a wry want -- the fewer number of peo- ple who have knowledge of his description, the smaller the chance of his arrest. Long after the actual assault, the rapist maintains a grip on his victim, And as fong as he is free, other women can become victims. "If the rapist starts as a child, he can wanting to become a victim. Little does she know, women stand a far greater chance of being assaulted by someone they know, "Being dragged into an alley, we call Hollywood rapes," Jeannette says. "They do happen, but the highest number happen in the home or somewhere you know by someone you know." They have met carly on this cool, rain-slicked autumn morming, to show support for the woman who was attacked; to discuss what can be done to make the streets "It's not a sex crime. It's a yviotent crime." She adds, "There is noth- ing sexual about rape, Nother than the penis is used as a weapon." Kelli says, "It's not a sex crime, it's a violent safer and the justice system better; to explore the whole issue of sexual assault. And to talk. Just talk. Though these women are all ages -- grandmothers, moghers and daughters -- none=of them have come faee 10" face with the ~#ssuc before. Until now, it has been something they've read about in the newspaper, heard on TV Until now, it hasn't touched their lives in a personal way. So until now, they admit, they haven't real ly cared My goodness," one woman Says sonally, Ethiopia." But it has touched them, and talking scems to case their pain "We're known as a nice little community," another woman says sarcastically. A small town, a good place to raise families Port Perry, her hometown, is the last place in the world she expects to be afraid in. But her friend has been raped night here in Pont Perry Rape. That's what the women are calling it. They're not mincing around words like sexual assault They're too angry" At the legal system for is insensitivity with the victim. At the attacker. At the sheer insanity of the crime They are so different from the two executive members of the Scugog Crisis Centre who have come (0 their'¥ound table discus. Sion to answer questions. Jeannetie M. Ross, executive director, and if it doesn't wuch you per i's hike famine in oF =~ smile, "because"when we come to them, say 'oh no, it's those feminists." But in an hour of naked, people come to the Crisis Centre. These women have come 10 Jeannette and Kellrfor help, and they're not alone. "We have women coming to us all the ume saying they didn't real ize we were there," Jeannette says "In the month of July, we had two or three calls a day. New calls Now that's scary for us." Several woman in the group were never aware of how many sexual assaults happened in the Scugog arca, unul their eyes were suddenly opened. One asked why the media doesn't publish assaults when they happen, but reporters can't print something when they don't know about it. Police, Jeanneue says, are reluctant to let the public know when a sexual assault happens, because "they don't want us to panic." 'Don't tell me That makes me Her voice nses, not Yo panic panic Knowing when a rapist is loose in an arca nay worry people the women agree, but 'kfowing' enables them to take precautions. On the other hand, the victim in this particular case does not want any information made public, because she is concerned the rapist might connect her with the story And she is afraid he might come back. She lives in fear. Which is exactly what the attacker must Sedone Multi Fuel Stove UP TO 24 HOURS - CLEAN BURN FIREWOOD - CORN - WOOD PELLETS RECYCLED WOOD - PAPER CUBES, LOGS, efo. SIMPLE TECH - NON ELECTRIC GRAVITY FEED - EASY HEAT CONTROL Patented Design a Conventional Airtight Stoves ILE AGRI. SERVICE RAR. 3, Port Perry, Ont. LOL 184 (416) 985-9528 rape 270 times in his life," Jeannette says. Which is why, the women insist, the community should know when a sexual assault has hap- pened. Often, the women have been told 'don't walk alone at night'. This doesn't sit well with the group, especially the woman who says, "When you don't know there 1s a rapist in the community, why on carth wouldn't I walk?" Sull, they resent having to change their lifestyle because of sexual assault. A man thinks noth ing of walking alone the store 10 buy milk at midmght, but a woman thinks twice about it, not crime." Throughout the couple of hours spent talking, the victim is surpris- ingly calm, although she does break down into tears once "People make you feel it is your fault," she says helplessly "And that's the biggest crime of all," says her friend They begin talking about an issue that angers them more than anything: the victim's struggle for credibility. She has spent a great deal of ume trying to convinge pdlice that she was indeed raped that she wasn't just crying wolf for attention 'They (police) don't seem to understand that women wouldn't put themselves through the legal process unless it was really, really important to them," Kelli says. And after going through the emotionat and physical trauma of the assault, medical examinations, embarrassing questions, a struggle for credibility and the prial, there's no guarantee of either a conviction or a substantial sentence. Jeannette says only one per cent of all reported rapes get a convic tion. And of. those who are ton- victed, Kelli says, "Some serve on weekends because he's a good family man." She adds, "They don't take women seriously. Bottom line." More than anything, the women at this gathering are shocked. If they had been asked to sit around a table to discuss the issue of sexual assault before their friend was attacked, they wouldn't have been all that interested. They admitted that One woman, who'd sat quietly throughout most of the meeting seemed to sum up the mood of her friends best when she said, "Unu! something like this happens, you don't listen because you don't care You think it's never going to happen to you." MAKE MALCOLM Glenn Malcolm is . FOR LEADERSHIP with a DIFFERENCE! © APPROACHABLE by electorate LJ AGREEABLE to progressive pohcies ® AMBITIOUS 10 plan the future © ADAPTABLE to the fiscal reales of the W's -- Authorized by CFO for Glenn Malcolm RECYCLER Recycle Your Gently Read Books PORTPERRY PLAZA A (Hwy. 7) PORT PERRY mp RICE RUELLR CTI BRING IN THIS AD & RECEIVE 25% OFF YOUR NEXT BOOK PURCHASE. (Expires October 1991)