Loughborough Echo

Anti-rape campaign backed

-

A CAMPAIGN aimed at increasing successful rape prosecutio­ns has been backed by the Shadow Minister for Policing.

Labour MP Louise Haigh watched the two fictional films produced by the force about rape during a visit to Leicesters­hire Police.

And shortly after the second of the fictional films was posted online, she praised the initiative on social media.

She posted a message in which she described the campaign as “an incredibly powerful challenge to stigmas around rape” adding “congrats to @ leicspolic­e on effort to improve rape disclosure­s.”

She added: “Warning – you may find film traumatic, I did”.

Among other comments posted online by viewers, one said: “I think it’s great that this sort of issue is being highlighte­d.”

Another said: “This really voices a great message to everyone. Well produced. Really effective.”

One of the films shows the events leading up to the attack which featured in film one, but through the eyes of jurors.

Critically, it leaves it unclear what verdict the jury reached about the guilt or innocence of the woman’s attacker.

Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham said: “We deliberate­ly did not want the jury’s verdict to be overt. Making the film in this way, it obliges the viewer, who has already seen the attack take place at the start of film 1 and can be in no doubt about what happened, to appreciate that prejudic- es and assumption­s can sometimes obscure the reality of a situation.

“We very much wanted this second film to focus on the issues of myths, of stereotype­s, of prejudice and perception­s.

“We know that people form impression­s and develop opinions about rape based on issues like the victim’s clothing – in this fictional film’s case, the length of her skirt. Opinions are also based on how long it may take a victim to report the crime, whether they are in an already intimate relationsh­ip with their attacker, and – as this fictional film shows – on how much the victim may or may not have had to drink.

“We want people to watch this second part of the film and ask themselves whether their views are also shaped by such thoughts.

“Rape is rape. Full stop. Ends. I hope this campaign is making more and more people aware of that, and that this campaign will help encourage victims of rape to come forward, quickly.

“It’s great that the films and the whole campaign are getting such support.”

 ??  ?? A scene from one of the films.
A scene from one of the films.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom