Rape Victim Goes On YouTube To Ask For Help (VIDEO)

CNN reports on the wrenching video of a crying 16-year-old girl who turned to YouTube to plead for help in prosecuting her alleged 23-year-old rapist.

Watch the video below and read more underneath from CNN about this strange story.

The teen, whom CNN interviewed but is not identifying by her last name, is among dozens of young people who are turning to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to talk about sexual assault.

For an online generation, the Web offers what traditional counseling does not. It's a chance to communicate without having to face someone or fear their judgment. Some people are seeking legal advice and medical information, and many younger victims believe they can warn others about their accused attacker, counselors say.

Comments

[robXdion]

OK, why repost this?

[LoonaC]

shouldn't this be alleged rape victim?
Also, From what I understand, she had consensual sex with the alleged rapist many time.
Of course, all men are rapists in today's society.

[AdamantFinn]

I hope that you don't mean to suggest that because someone consents at one time that that consent is given in perpetuity. A woman (or a man for that matter) has the right to say "No" at ANY point. When that right is not respected it becomes a crime.

[colossus]

"(s)he had consensual sex with the alleged rapist many time" - I'll have to advise any woman I've ever slept with that they are obliged to have sex with me whenever I want because they've done it before. Great logic there. Please stay away from children.

[Naithom]

She's 16 and he's an adult. It's called statutory rape. She cannot give consent and as the adult he is expected to know the it's ilegal to have sex with a minor.

It doesn't matter if she said yes a thousand times and then said no, he should no be having sex with a child.

[GlimmerofDope]

Yes 16 is a child, unless they commit a horrible crime then everyone clamors to prosecute as an adult, if you're 18 you are an adult that must wait 3 years to drink a beer.

They should make a new legal term for statutory rape, it insults the victims of violent rape to equate the two.

Last I checked, until he is convicted, he is an "alleged" rapist, you know that old "innocent until proven guilty" crap that doesn't really work for the modern media cycle.

[frl]

sure thing... but if she initially said ok, why is she crying now? do you have some kind of evidence that the state does not?

[readreza]

your screenname is apt.
what does having had sex with her rapist in the past have to do with rape?
what a disturbing comment.
have you warned all of your former partners that you would not consider forcing yourself on them rape, that their prior consent would entitle you to do so (using your twisted logic)?

generally, only rapists are called rapists... seems as though you may have been called one yourself to declare that "all men are rapists in today's society". Seems as though you've been exposed to "men" who don't consider rape to be rape, as long as they themselves are the rapist.

[WMichaelTenery]

No is no whether it is the first time or the thousandth.

[FL4Obama]

If what she says is true, then heads should roll. I hope she can get some help either way! But hey, this is Florida under Republican rule what do you expect.

[readreza]

it's not just florida.
everywhere, rape victims are dragged through the mud (sexual past, drug use, underwear choice) at trials, while no one is allowed to mention the rapists prior bad acts - even acts of rape.

Men are so afraid of being called a rapist they convince themselves rape is not possible.

[kellygrrrl]

poor thing!
she's right -- it's not right that a Rape Victim is victimized again by the legal system.
unfortunately, it happens all the time!!!!

[OneWoman]

HuffPost's Pick

Re-victimization by the legal system happens so often that researchers and women's advocates have a name for it: Secondary Victimization. Secondary victimization is strongly correlated with the development of PTSD.

Sociocultural myths about rape, i.e. "rape myths" (defined as false beliefs about rape, rape victims and rapists) have a profound impact on individual attitudes toward rape and rape victims. Typically, these attitudes are characterized by blaming the victim, diminishing the psychological effects, and justifying the perpetrator.

The most powerful myth is the one which tells us that a woman is somehow responsible for being raped; that she did something “wrong” (e.g., she got into his car, let him in her apartment, or behaved in a sexually suggestive manner). This myth is dangerous and, quite frankly, downright cruel, as it allows the rapist to justify his actions and encourages her to question, second-guess, and blame herself. At the same time, it influences how everyone around her responds to her as a rape victim; hence "secondary victimization".

It is estimated that one out of every four adult women is raped (Bachar & Koss, 2001). Such high numbers inform us that there is no single victim profile—any woman can potentially be a victim. As a matter of fact, research on vulnerability factors (i.e. who's more likely to be raped) has consistently shown that encountering a sexually aggressive man was the primary reason for the differences found between victims and nonvictims (Koss & Dinero, 1989).

[jerseywolf]

This is quite an excellent post, OneWoman. I wish that many of the people writing in response to this video would read what you have written. I'm shocked by the ignorance and lack of empathy in many of these responses.