When rape becomes politicised, the victims lose out

Not every woman has been raped or sexually assaulted. But it’s an incredibly rare woman who hasn’t at some point feared she might be. You may or may not be aware of it, but it is almost a statistical certainty that you know someone who has been through this ordeal.

We have a rape crisis that is reaching such dramatic levels that rape is at once becoming prevalent and normalised. While rates of reporting have sky rocketed, rates of prosecution and conviction have fallen dramatically. Victims commissioner for England has described the situation as akin to the “decriminalisation” of rape.