Word: raping
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Some legal experts believe that lightening the sentence for rape will help increase the conviction rate. They say that a jury is much less likely to avoid convictions if the penalty is only a few years than if there is a possible sentence of death or life imprisonment.* Yet in some states the laws have been too soft; women in Indiana have pushed through a bill prohibiting suspended sentences for convicted rapists...
...rape victim with a reputation for promiscuity has often had a difficult tune in court. Iowa and California have recently passed laws barring defense lawyers from making courtroom inquiries into a woman's past sexual conduct, and in Florida such questions must first be screened in the judge's chambers. The principle, insisted upon by the rape task force of the National Organization for Women: a victim's activities with men other than the accused are irrelevant. "Previously," explains Ralph Brown, a lawyer and member of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, "a lawyer could...
...making special efforts to deter rapists and to help their victims. The Los Angeles police department helped produce a widely distributed film, Lady Beware, that shows where rapists may lurk and teaches that women in danger should scream. In Washington, D.C., the police department has put out pamphlets for rape victims urging them to bring sex offenders to court. In New York City, St. Louis, Albuquerque and Chicago, special police rape squads brief victims on what to expect during medical examinations and how to file charges...
Feminists have had rape counseling groups for more than a year (TIME, April 23, 1973). One of the newest and biggest is Women United Against Rape (WUAR) in Indianapolis. The group, which now numbers 50,000, has urged the police department to place special female officers on rape cases. In addition, WUAR has helped persuade 25 local industries to hold 200 safety classes for women, advising them, for example, to check the back seat of their cars before getting...
Hospitals, too, are becoming increasingly concerned. Some offer 24-hour counseling to rape victims brought to emergency rooms. Generally a woman is encouraged to talk openly about her experience. Counselors also provide follow-up psychological treatment for women who have persistent fears and nightmares. Says one girl who recently went through the experience: "Rape is a terribly, terribly brutal and degrading thing. You have to talk about it to someone afterward, and you have to keep working on yourself in order to recover...