An anti-rape organisation has called for the “#itsnotrapeif” trend on Twitter to be discontinued as the “tag is devastating for the rights of survivors and fuels myths that survivors of rape deserved what they got”.
Users of the social-networking site start conversations indicated by a hash tag. The source of the Tweet topic has not been established.
The tweeting trend started last week and some of the comments which joke about rape have enraged the Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust and other tweeters.
Some of the Tweets that received flak were “It’s not rape if you drop her off at the hospital afterwards” and “It’s not rape if she’s a lesbian.”
Other comments said if a woman had many children then nobody would believe she was raped.Another said strippers could not be raped because they “dance naked for a living”.
The trust’s communication co-ordinator, Helette Gelderblom said
: “This is no joke. It is a crime that is clearly defined in law. It is rape when consent was not given. Consent cannot be given if you are forced by violence or the threat of violence to yourself, to a loved one or to your property.” - Cape Argus