IT is crucial to find a solution to gender-based violence, especially for women who have suffered rape trauma. Survivors often get the short end of the stick because there is so much stigma associated with sexual abuse.
The Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) Vice President, Kimberley Tan, echoed the sentiment, saying that ‘rape culture’ enables victim-blaming language such as “What were you wearing?”, “Don’t you think you were asking for it when you went out drinking?”, and “You went over to his place and didn’t expect this to happen?” to be prevalent in our society today.
“Victim-blaming in rape culture often shifts respect, responsibility, and accountability on survivors rather than perpetrators.
This leads to a great deal of shame related to the abuse and further suppresses survivors’ desire to communicate their lived experiences. As a result, silence becomes a means of survival for them,” she said.
As such, Tan expressed concern that survivors often find it difficult to share their predicament as society’s expectation towards individual post-sexual violence to be of a certain set of guidelines.
“People often want them to show just enough emotion for us to believe them, but not so much that they appear hysterical or attention-seeking. The timing of the disclosure should be just right, otherwise we would question why they did not come forward sooner.
“They must be “model citizens” or their credibility will be questioned. If they were intoxicated at the time of the assault, we doubt their memory. And if they are sober, we question their choices. The Goldilocks dilemma of being the perfect victim or survivor is exceptionally difficult to navigate. It’s no surprise that many survivors wait decades before coming forward, or choose not to report a sexual assault at all.”
Apart from that, Tan said certain survivors are afraid of further physical and mental harm if they disclose their assault.
“Even our legislation and policies are not survivor-centric. If no police report is filed within 72 hours of the assault, the case becomes a ‘cold case’ because there is no evidence to ‘prove’ the victim’s distress.”
Passionate about running this campaign to get more survivors to speak out, Tan, who has previously organised several ‘Bukan Salah Kamek’ campaigns, said there is no perfect victim or survivor. There is also no perfect trauma response.
“As a society, we have a collective responsibility to create safe spaces that would help build a culture of acceptance rather than a culture of shame.”
One-Stop Crisis Centre — a crucial point
Recently, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri held a meeting to discuss ways to improve services for rape survivors through the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC), which is based in all major general hospitals in Sarawak.
The SWWS was also involved in the discussion to better understand the OSCC policy and to find ways to improve the multi-agency collaboration so that a survivor-centred approach is key to the running of the service.
The OSCC is a 24-hour service that helps individuals who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, or neglect. OSCC functions to provide survivors with a safe place, treatment, and multi-level crisis intervention, as well as to guarantee the survivors receive optimal care and evidence management.
The meeting confirmed that a survivor-centred approach should underpin all efforts to respond to gender-based violence (GBV) emergencies. These guiding principles are as follows:
Safety: The safety and security of the survivor and her children should be the number one priority for GBV frontliners. It is important to remember that when women and girls disclose an incident of GBV, they are at high risk of experiencing reprisal attacks from perpetrators and those that might seek to protect them.
Confidentiality: GBV frontliners should not share information about a survivor without their explicit permission and informed consent. However, there are some limits to confidentiality, eg, when mandatory reporting procedures are in place, and when it comes to working with child survivors when decisions should be led by what is in the best interests of the child.
Respect: GBV frontliners should be guided by respect for the rights and dignity of the survivor. They should not judge the choices of a survivor but rather trust that she knows best if and when to access assistance and/or police and legal intervention.
Non-Discrimination: Frontliners should treat all survivors equally, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, HIV status and disability status.
Tan, who advocates for a better future for women in society, said improving policies is for the welfare and protection of our generation and future generations. She thus hopes that improvements will be made to the existing OSCC procedure, which requires a police report to be filed within the first 72 hours in order for a survivor to have access to forensic examination and evidence collection.
“Choosing to obtain a rape kit and file an investigation report can be daunting because survivors are, in a way, confessing to themselves and others what happened. It will take some time for them to process their emotions and the trauma. There is also the dread of being shunned by family, spouses, workplace, and community as a result of the assault.”
Nonetheless, Tan believed that giving survivors as many options as possible in every decision would help them feel empowered and regain control.
“If the survivors are not ready to file a police report immediately or within the 72-hour limit, we hope that there are facilities that can freeze the evidence and store it for later access.
“We want to make sure that survivors make their own decisions when they are in a better state of mind,” said Tan.
What should the victim do after being raped?
- Ensure your own safety.
- Leave your body as it is. Survivors who choose to get an exam are encouraged not to shower, comb their hair, use the restroom or change their clothes before completing the rape kit as evidence may be contaminated or degraded.
- Choosing to go to the hospital or a medical rape centre after an assault can be beneficial for several reasons. Most critically, healthcare practitioners can treat bodily injury and help ensure your sexual and physical health. Additionally, they can provide you with a rape kit — a sexual assault forensic exam that can be used to collect DNA, blood samples and other evidence. You can access this service at the Emergency & Trauma Department (ETD) in major government hospitals in Sarawak.
- Reach out for support. It is important to connect with a person you trust for support. After the shock, sexual trauma survivors often experience depression, anxiety and dissociation. In a culture rampant with victim-blaming and doubt surrounding accounts of sexual assault — which may exacerbate trauma — it is crucial to confide in someone you fully trust.
