"a Woman Was Raped Here"

ed. note: Information in this article was taken from a press release and position paper issued to the media by an anonymous group of women.

ANN ARBOR - On Oct. 8, a group of women spray painted "A woman was raped here" at 280 sites. The aim of the action by the unidentified group was to remind the community that "violence against women continues to prevail, both on the streets and in the privacy of peoples ' homes." The marked sites are actual locations where rapes took place in Ann Arbor as reported monthly in the Ann Arbor Observer over the past three years. The action was a follow-up to an identical effort in Nov. 1980 in which the same words were stenciled at 150 sites. Since that first effort U-M has funded the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAP AC), and the city of Ann Arbor has formed the Citizen's Advisory Committee on Rape Prevention (CACORP). Despite these efforts, rapes in Ann Arbor continue to occur at an alarming rate. The police estimate that only one in ten rapes are reported. The reason rapes go unreported, the group states, is that women are subjected to further violation and degradation by the police department, the media, and the criminal justice system. A rape victim's story may be met with skepticism when police hear she knew her assailant. The fact is 80%; of women know their rapist. He may be a co-worker, friend, date, husband or relative. Under the Michigan Criminal Sexual Conduct statute, any forced sexual conduct is a prosecutable offense. This includes touching and grabbing. A rape victim's story may not be considered newsworthy and go unpublished. Or her assault may be reported in the local news as "WomanTells Police She Was Raped," leading the reader to distrust her claim. She may even get sued for defamation of character if she attempts to press charges. It was only a year ago that two such suits were filed and reported on in The Ann Arbor News. Only one percent of reported sexual assaults ever results in conviction. The group asks that citizens join groups such as SAPAC and CACORP and make changes in individual behavior that would help eradicate sexism and rape-culture.

Contact SAPAC at 763-5865 or at their 24 hour crisis line at 936-3333, CACORP at 994-8775, The Assault Crisis Center at 994-1616, The Court Action Program at 761-9475 and ask for Clara, or POWER at 995-2029.