On 10 October 2006, in Stamford, CT, a woman was sexually assaulted in front of her children in the parking garage of a Marriott hotel. Police arrested the culprit three days later and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
End of story, right?
It should be. But the Marriott claims the woman “was careless, negligent and ‘failed to exercise due care for her own safety and the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities,’ ” according to the Stamford Advocate. You can read the full text of the article.
Regardless of whether or not the woman has a valid case against the Marriott, this article clearly shows one thing: women are often still seen as being culpable in their own assaults. And many people still wonder why rapes go unreported, especially since they can be reported “anonymously”. This article shows clearly that anonminity isn’t guaranteed. It’s a sad story, which makes me wonder if we’ve made any progress at all.
Tags: abuse, legalities, Self-Defense
Sigh. Sad story, this is – and not just because of the assault. You’re right: the idea that women are somehow responsible for the assaults against them is still very much alive and well, it seems.