A couple of things I hope will help :)

[Louise1989]

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know I've started a blog with some information and advice following sexual assault - there are only a couple of posts so far but I am hoping to write more, so if anyone has any suggestions of things they would find useful please let me know as I am doing this in the hope it will help people in the future! So far I have written about what will happen when you go to the police, and how you might feel after an assault. Obviously I only have my experiences to go on so if you would like to add anything, please comment

www.survivingsexualassaultinfo.blogspot.com

Please have a look and share anything you think might be helpful

[Poppies]

Just read your blogs and so far you are spot on ! Thanks for doing it I am sure it will help a lot of people. The one thing that hit me was that the rapist knew what he was doing and what he had done!

[whatsgoingon?]

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know I've started a blog with some information and advice following sexual assault - there are only a couple of posts so far but I am hoping to write more, so if anyone has any suggestions of things they would find useful please let me know as I am doing this in the hope it will help people in the future! So far I have written about what will happen when you go to the police, and how you might feel after an assault. Obviously I only have my experiences to go on so if you would like to add anything, please comment

www.survivingsexualassaultinfo.blogspot.com

Please have a look and share anything you think might be helpful

Hi Louise, I've just been on your blog, which I'm sure will be very helpful for many. I haven't been able to reply on there, so I hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts on here.
Like most people, I feel that rape is a horrendous crime which should be heavily sanctioned. However, I feel that what is considered to be rape nowadays can be largely discouraged and avoided. My opinion differs from yours in that I believe that if a woman gets drunk ( let's say, rat-arsed) she is still responsible for herself. To state otherwise would be to infantilise her or degrade her status of adult of sound mind and body simply because she's female. If a man and woman get drunk together, I don't see why the man's responsibility should automatically be increased and hers diminished.

Should a woman drive her car while she's drunk and, God forbid, kill someone, she can't turn round and accuse them of not having been 'normal' or 'decent' because they didn't prevent the accident.
I am not saying that she deserves whatever happens because of her condition, just that prevention is often better than cure and all adults need to take responsibility for themselves to ensure their own safety.
Furthermore, as you probaly know, alcohol is a social disinhibitor and sexual stimulant, many people drink in company specifically for those reasons so there are choices to be made as to where, when and who you drink with. If people want to drink to facilitate sexual activity, that's entirely up to them, but if what seemed mutually fantastically exciting the night before, is a matter of regret in the morning, it shouldn't be confused with rape.

[Casehardened]

Should a woman drive her car while she's drunk and, God forbid, kill someone, she can't turn round and accuse them of not having been 'normal' or 'decent' because they didn't prevent the accident.
I am not saying that she deserves whatever happens because of her condition, just that prevention is often better than cure and all adults need to take responsibility for themselves to ensure their own safety.
Furthermore, as you probably know, alcohol is a social disinhibitor and sexual stimulant, many people drink in company specifically for those reasons so there are choices to be made as to where, when and who you drink with. If people want to drink to facilitate sexual activity, that's entirely up to them, but if what seemed mutually fantastically exciting the night before, is a matter of regret in the morning, it shouldn't be confused with rape.

This is all so sensible and logical!

[Louise1989]

Hi whatsgoingon! And thanks for your opinion. I definitely agree with you on most points, very wise words That particular post on my blog was mostly just a rant for my own benefit! I guess the main point I was trying to make was that if one person is not in a position to give consent (i.e. passed out), then it's nice to think another human being will be nice enough to look after them and not take advantage! But obviously you have to look at every situation with a fresh pair of eyes, and one rule does not apply to all. Although of course I am not trying to condone going out and getting yourself in that state! I guess I am just grimly accepting that people are gonna go out and do that anyway...

Also I will try and set up commenting on my blog somehow... Not so much great with the technology haha

[whatsgoingon?]

It is a really sad state of affairs where instead of getting the help you expect you get abused. We live in a pretty yuck era where you've always got to be looking out for yourself and over your shoulder. Unfortunately people need to be aware of risks in order to avoid them and often that knowledge is only acquired through having been in tricky situations. I got myself into so many near scrapes as a teenager and young woman out of sheer naivity and mis-placed trust. Unfortunately we don't live in an ideal world.