Have you ever been the victim of a sex-related crime?

[undeterred]

Poll question: Have you ever been the victim of a sex-related crime?

Either as a child or an adult.

[Mandate My Ass]

1. female, yes, not prosecuted

not even really investigated despite corroborating witness testimony.

I still don't think MJ should have been convicted. The prosecution's case had holes, the defense's job is to point those out. They did. The system worked.

[Gabi Hayes]

2. when I was a freshman in high school a counselor

started playing with one of my socks (it was still on my ankle)

I told some lunchmates about it, and they told me, "He's a HOMO!!!"

I didn't know what that was

a couple days later the counselor happened by our lunch table, and I blurted out, "Hi, homo!"

what did I know?

funniest thing, he didn't last out the school year

[undeterred]

23. I wonder if he was a pedophile or fired for being gay

[XemaSab]

3. Please define

sex crime.

In short, does sexual harassment count?

Especially if the guy was a total sleaze?

Like, his wife divorced him for taking showers with his teenage daughters?

[undeterred]

6. I was thinking of molestation or sexual assault- something physical

[lenidog]

11. I think that the taking showers with his teenage daughters falls under

a different category that sexual harrasment.

[undeterred]

12. Definitely. Thats abuse.

[undeterred]

4. Mine was prosecuted successfully

When the justice system works, its a beautiful thing.

[BlueIris]

5. Female, no, but that makes me the only woman

I know who has not been subjected to a sex crime in her life. I was shocked and horrified to discover this recently when several friends and family members decided to share their experiences with me. I feel terrible for them and for any person that this happens to.

Also, I would just like to point out to the male posters who responded "yes," to this poll--good for you for being able and willing to share that about what you went through. (Nothing against anyone who doesn't want to respond, though; coming to terms with something like that can be the hardest thing in the universe.)

[undeterred]

7. Just about every woman I know has a story

[sickinohio]

13. Same here

[Mandate My Ass]

9. May you never know what it feels like to be the victim of sex crime

then you will truly know what the term unfortunate means.:hug:

[loudestchick]

8. female, raped by my next door neighbor while high at 14 N/T

[BlueIris]

10. I'm sorry. n/t

[WearyOne]

14. ( male ).beaten and raped as a teen..and was too terrified after to point

out the 2 that did it despite police being very understanding. I was full of mixed feelings about the thought of someone going to jail because of me !

later of course I realised this was post traumatic syndrome.

5 years later I read the 2 that did it were nabbed trying to fly in a small plane full of heroin and got life ! That helped form my belief that 'karma' will always happen.

[undeterred]

15. I'm sorry, wearyone, that must have been awful

even though karma caught up. Glad they are locked away for good.

[WearyOne]

16. thank you ..but it's just a dim memory now

[BlueIris]

17. I'm sorry, too. Instant-karma is a wonderful thing, sometimes. nt.

[Maru Kitteh]

18. Female rape victim, not prosecuted

also stalking victim.

[undeterred]

19. It is amazing that so far there is only one successful prosecution for

each gender.

Mine was an attempted rape which happened during the first few months I was away at college (1975). It happened on a Sunday morning while I was walking to church. I screamed and I was rescued. The attacker ran away, but the college boys who rescued me saw him so there were three of us with a good description. The police told me I was a "great victim".

He was not apprehended until two months later. There were five young women who had made reports so they decided to prosecute the two most serious crimes and use the rest of us as character witnesses. Technically he was not prosecuted for attacking me, but without my testimony and description he would have been harder to prosecute. The only "attempted" crime which is ever prosecuted is murder.

He was found guilty of raping a 16 year old girl who he abducted as she left a grocery store on a Sunday morning. And he was found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon and sexual assault against another college student. I inadvertently sat next to the rapist's sobbing mother during the closing arguments of the second trial.

After that I worked as a volunteer advocate for rape victims in emergency rooms for 7 years in two different cities. I followed up on almost 50 cases and never saw a single prosecution. Many of the victims were not "reliable witnesses". If someone is mentally ill, retarded, drunk or using drugs, a prostitute, or does not speak English, the odds of there being a successful prosecution are tiny.

[Heddi]

20. Here is a thread you should read

I made it last September. The responses made my hair stand on end.

I applaud every member who was frank enough to come out with their stories. Very hard reading

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2297339

[BlueIris]

21. Scary. Not that people shouldn't read it but--scary.

It's good that you created a thread for people to share their experiences in, but you are right, many of those posts depict horrifying trauma.

[undeterred]

22. Very sobering.

Thanks for posting the link.

[Solly Mack]

24. Yes