July 22, 2004
Avalon Centre Press Release - Recent Sexual Assaults in HRM

In the past few weeks Avalon Sexual Assault Centre has been contacted by a number of media agencies in response to several high profile incidences of stranger sexual assault that have occurred in HRM this summer. Most recently we have been contacted about the male who is targeting women in their homes while they sleep. All media representatives who have contacted this agency have requested that we issue warnings to women about how they can protect themselves and prevent sexual assault.

Victim based prevention - tips for how women can protect themselves - has been society's strategy for dealing with sexual violence as long as sexual violence has occurred. National and local statistics clearly indicate that this tactic has not worked. Last week, due to a violent stranger assault that occurred late at night on the street, the media issued warnings to women not to walk alone at night. So women stayed home and were careful if they had to venture out. Now the media is warning women to lock their doors and windows because a stranger seeking out women who live alone is breaking into their apartments to watch them sleep and to sexually touch them. The media appears to be missing the fact that together, these statements leave women with no options. If not out or at home, where? All women and girls are raised to "be careful" and take extreme measures when working, walking or living alone. While women consistently take precautions to protect themselves and each other, sexual assault is still a daily occurrence. It's time to start looking at the people who perpetrate crimes of sexual violence.

Victim-based prevention puts the responsibility of preventing sexual assault on women, letting men who rape off the hook. The extension of this idea places a woman who has experienced a sexual assault in the position of having to prove herself as a credible ‘victim’ ie; ‘did you follow the rules on the list for preventing assault? Where were you? Were you walking the streets alone after dark? If you were, this must be at least partially your fault.’ This kind of reasoning does not even consider the actions or intent of the perpetrator, as if only women are involved and can stop sexual violence.

The fact is, is that once the media hype around this high profile case has subsided, sexual assault will continue to occur at the same rate it did before this case in Halifax, unless we as a society choose to take a broader view on sexual assault prevention. While society tends to focus on stranger assaults, especially when talking about prevention, the vast majority of women who experience sexual violence-79% (Juristat, 1994), are victimized by someone they know and trust. There is no difference in the severity or intent of a sexual assault that is perpetrated by an acquaintance. When stranger assault occurs there is usually a public outcry: where is the outcry for the daily sexual violence that occurs in our communities? All sexual violence stems from the same root cause, and until we start addressing sexism and misogyny, we will continue to have a serious problem. Locked doors and windows will not deter the criminal intent of a man who has made the decision to commit a sexual assault. No amount of telling women not to walk alone will prevent them from being raped by a man that they trusted and invited in. We need to start making the statement ‘Don’t rape’, instead of ‘Don’t get raped’.