Do rape victims have a moral obligation to report a rape?

Many rapes are almost impossible to prove esp. in the case of date rape. If you've willingly had sex w/the person before then many people would simply say you weren't raped. That was my case. I had been dating him for a few months. btw I never reported it. I was far too scared and felt like nobody would believe me.

*sigh*

I do wish I had reported it. I wasn't the only one he raped.

Logically, yes all rapes should be reported in order to put the criminal in jail, but w/the reality is that women and men who are raped are often victimized a second time by the justice system. I admire the people who do press charges and get the jerk tossed in jail.

No, I don't think so, any more than a robbery victim or a victim of other crimes has a 'moral' obligation, although obviously this is something many people who are raped struggle with.

IMHO, the argument that reporting crimes such as rape helps police catch the rapist sounds civic minded, but how realistic is it?

Many rapists aren't caught, many others are never charged because of lack of evidence which would be conclusive enough to convict. In other cases, the matter goes to court and the victims are treated with such ferocity that many feel raped a second time, this time by the system.

Unless we can guarantee rape victims a fairer deal in the courts and the justice system, I don't think we have a right to have 'moral' expectations around their behaviour.

Cheers :-)

My first thoughts on this, is YES, the victim should report the rapist,at least to make sure that another person does not suffer from this trauma.Especially when we understand that the core thrill that the rapist gets is that of control over the victim.By publicly coming against him, the victim gets a chance to take back that control.BUT when we think about it, when someone has suffered so greatly, the last thing they are bothered about is saving the world. The rapist might not be found in any know database, so whats the point in reporting them? More over the victim has to relive the agony of retelling their traumatic experience over & over again.For what??? My thoughts are that the victim has to undergo extensive counseling & should try & understand that they are in no way responsible to what happened to them.

Personally I think such crimes should be publicly punished, respecting the victims confidentiality of course & the punishment should be an eye for an eye. This I think would discourage any one with an inclination towards rape.

yes - but the obligation does not outweigh the victim's right to mental sanity.

sexual abuse is something that does not always feel better right after telling - and in many cases, the act of reliving it can make it worse.

rape can sometimes be very difficult to prove, and the process of trying to prove that such an injustice has been done can feel like a further victimisation.

after being raped, the first obligation she has is to herself.

i'm not saying she shouldn't tell, but she just might need some time.

In the time that I have been on yahoo, I can honestly say that there has never been a time that I actually cried from a question. This is truly beautiful semper fi. Things like this break my heart. It is so sad that people hurt children. Innocence and love, that is what they are. I am the mother of two. I am so fortunate to have them. I am sitting here on the computer thinking how fortunate that I am when I came across this. My 16 yo son is knocked out snoring on the couch and my 7 week old is next to me making little sucking faces while she sleeps. As a mother this makes me so angry. I hope that each and every parent really remembers how special their children are and keep this family in their thoughts and prayers. Sentences for these people need to be longer and tougher. It is amazing to me that someone may get more years in prison for stealing a car than stealing a child's innocence and in many cases robbing them of their future. I really believe that there should not be a sex offender registry. I think they all should have life in prison. When they get a few years after they get caught, they get back out and commit even worse acts. Things like this really ticks me off. At least this child is now in God's capable hands where she will not have to deal with the hate and sickness of this world! ** I have to add that we need to keep all children in our thoughts. Children that are suffering in secret righ at this moment. Children that are forever changed because of sick, twisted individuals that care more about their perversions than the life of a child. I suggest any one who has a free moment to participate in Big brothers and sisters. Mentor. Be a person that children can talk to. No child deserves this.**

By asking if "she" should act, you're assuming that only women are raped. Men, boys and girls are also raped.

In a perfect world, everyone would have a moral obligation to report a crime, especially a violent crime. In the real world, the victim has to decide if they can handle dealing with police, the criminal justice system, and the media; or worse, not being believed, treated like crud, or accused of being a liar and charged with perjury. Since few if anyone admits to committing rape, it will almost always be an ugly fight for truth.

No I beleive the victim should be able to choose to turn them in. Anyone who beleives they should have to has never been in thier situation.....some victims have been threatened not to tell and may even have more harm done to them if they do....some have been violated by the police and wont do them any good to tell because of currupted systems....others just don;t want to be put through reliving it over in the court system

Moral obligations aside, I should think rape victims would want to see the rapist punished...

I don't think so. I think it is the most ethical thing to do, but one is not obligated. Reporting helps prevent others from suffering the same fate, but the pain that can be caused by coming forward can be mentally and emotionally devastating. It was for me anyway.

I think that is a personal choice. Even if you report a rape it doesn't mean the rapist will get caught, and even if he is caught it doesn't mean he will be found guilty, and even if he is found guilty he will most likely be walking the streets within 6 months. ;-)