23rd November 2005

Following the release of a survey which has shown that approximately one third of people believe that a woman is at least partly responsible for being raped if she behaved in a flirtatious manner or was drunk, the Green party has called for an urgent public awareness campaign to tackle the damaging stereotypes which surround rape.

Dr Carol Kambites, a Green party Stroud Town councillor said: "There is currently very little justice for rape victims in the UK. As this survey clearly shows women who are raped are still subject to prejudiced public response which may either serve to put them off reporting the crime altogether or makes the process of trying to achieve justice all the more distressing. We urgently need a public awareness campaign on rape so that the public perception of this crime can be altered."

Jenny Jones, a Green Assembly Member in London and a Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority has already called on the Mayor of London to set aside money in his upcoming budget to fund a public awareness campaign in London.

Conviction rates for rape in the UK have fallen to an all time low. The most recent figures show that  just 5.6% of reported rapes result in conviction. Rape is also a drastically under reported crime. The British Crime Survey 2004- 2005 estimated that just 15% of rapes came to the attention of the police (i).

Notes:

(i) The survey was conducted by ICM for Amnesty International.