A married, 45-year-old driving instructor in Italy once picked up his 18-year-old student for her first driving lesson, took her to an isolated road and raped her.
The Italian Supreme Court overturned the man’s 34-month sentence.
The reasoning?
The woman was wearing “tight jeans” — so tight they couldn’t be taken off without her consent.
“There’s never an excuse or invitation for rape, no matter what someone is wearing, no matter how tight or how loose,” said Emilie McLarnan, coordinator of Violence Prevention Programs at the University of Idaho.
In solidarity with the victim in the case and rape victims everywhere, UI students, faculty and staff will wear denim jeans, shirts and jackets in support of Denim Day Wednesday. As a response to the Italian court ruling in 1999, the event is part of an international campaign launched by Peace Over Violence, a nonprofit social service agency based in Los Angeles that provides crisis intervention services and violence prevention education.
“We are trying to combat against the misconceptions people have around sexual violence,” McLarnan said. “We know that rape is not caused by what the person is wearing. It is always the decision of the perpetrator.”
While the inspiration for the event occurred thousands of miles away, McLarnan said the implications of victim blaming can hit close to home. During her time working for Violence Prevention Programs at UI, McLarnan said she has encountered victim blaming statements in cases of sexual assault, especially in cases where the victims were consuming alcohol.
“There’s been cases where someone was at a party, had a couple of drinks and were blamed for violence committed against them,” McLarnan said.
She said these statements already add to the shame rape victims feel.
She said these statements already add to the shame rape victims feel.
“If a victim comes into contact with people who have victim blaming attitudes, it can make them feel further isolated and not in a safe enough environment to say something,” McLarnan said. “Society makes it a shameful thing to talk about.”
But victim blaming statements are not always said to bring harm or shame to victims of sexual assault, McLarnan said. She said these statements often come from a place of care, concern and self-protection.
“Victim blaming can be a way for people to feel like they’re protecting themselves,” McLarnan said. “If they are able to rationalize it in any way, it will make it seem less scary. We like to think, ‘If I act in a certain way, I can keep myself safe.’ But ultimately it is the decision of the rapist to carry out those acts.”
While campus safety reports show the statistics of rapes that occur at UI each year, McLarnan said these numbers are based only on victims who choose to come forward and report. She said many cases go unreported.
“Sexual violence is under reported no matter where you go,” McLarnan said. “Many survivors aren’t sure where to report, and, even if they do, they may not want to. When reporting sexual assault, it can feel like the information is being taken out of their hands, like they’re losing control of the situation.”
But McLarnan said these are the exact problems events that Denim Day strives to prevent. She said the most important thing for victims of sexual violence is to get support, and know their options.
Violence Prevention Programs will table for Denim Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Idaho Commons outside the Cedar Grove Room.
McLarnan said the conversations that will occur on Denim Day are just a smaller piece of a larger goal.
“This Is just a small piece of what we’re trying to do overall, which is to eventually build a campus where sexual assault is not occurring,” McLarnan said. “We want to show that UI is a supportive community.”
Taryn Hadfield can be contacted at [email protected]