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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1982)
Campus rape workshop dispels myths, educates By Michel* Matassa OtttfEmmraU The Lane County Sheriff's Department is "notoriously bad" in dealing with the plight of rape victims, according to the director of Eugene’s Rape Crisis Network At a campus rape workshop last week, Network Director Gail Wiemann discussed relations with the county sheriff's department. "We have been told in the past few years that things are better in Lane County than most places in the country. There have been recent reports which suggest that isn’t true," she said In one case, a 15-year-old victim was called out of class and questioned by police after specifically asking that she not be bothered at school, Wiemann said The department threatened another woman with a sub poena when she refused to answer questions and submitted a third victim to a lie detector test because her story changed, Wiemann said Victims often contuse details when recovering from such a stressful crime, she said Donna Lovewell, Sheriff Dave Burk's chief deputy, said Wednesday that the department began investigation of Wiemann's allegations this week She said the department was not aware of any problems before last Thursday or Friday Without denying the accusa tions, Lovewell said that such behavior in dealing with rape victims, is "definitely not our policy.” "We try to be sensitive to those issues, " she said She stressed that department short-handedness is "not any excuse," but added that "if you have four officers doing the work of 16, you sometimes don't have the time to spend with the cases ” The workshop also touched upon the medical aspects of rape. Rape Trauma Syndrome and ways to help a victimized friend “Rape Culture,” a film about the dangers of society's casual attitude toward rape, featured the opinions of passers-by and present and ex-convicts The movie criticized the theories that women “want” rape and that rape is a "normal acting out of male aggression and female passivity ” Most of the convicted rapists in the film said that dominance was their main motivation. “It wasn’t the sex; it was the domination” and "To conquer is a conquest” were common statements. Wiemann also described the medical examination a rape vic tim encounters to acquire evidence for the court proceed ings, a process which she says discourages many victims from pressing charges. Fibers, soil and pubic hair are collected from the genital area and kept in a "rape kit,” a card board box with several envelopes for the samples. Tests of all body fluids are also made; any evidence of penetration is recorded or coll ected. Wiemann also discussed Rape Trauma Syndrome, a period of readjustment for the victim in which support from friends is extremely important. She said the victim often feels guilty about the rape and needs to be reassured "that whatever she did, it got her through the situation alive." Wiemann concluded the session on a positive note. "I hope it's helpful, and I hope you don't ever need it.” The third session, to be held Thursday evening from 7-9 p m. in 242 Gilbert Hall, will cover incest and child sexual abuse. Women plan to ‘take back the night’ An unspoken curfew in this country keeps more than half the nation's population locked up after dark, according to members of the Rape Crisis Network. Women fear nighttime because 60 percent of all rapes occur dur ing these hours. Saturday, women from all parts of the state will protest the curfew and march to "take back the night.” The "Take Back The Night” movement began in San Fran cisco in 1978 to "protest all forms of violence against women, " says Evelyn Anderton, co-planner of the march Anderton and 13 other organ izers from the University and community plan to lead a march through two miles of what they consider to be Eugene’s most dangerous areas. Similar movements are planned in Salem and Roseburg "We want women to be able to go out at night safely for once without male protection," Anderton says Marcia Kraus of the Campus Women's Referral and Resource Center says the highest rape in cidence occurs in the University area. "People think that rape is con fined to sleazy perverts in bushes They think that college kids never rape or get raped," she says. Gail Wiemann of the Rape Cri sis Network agrees that the cam pus is a dangerous place for women at night "Students feel comfortable with students, but most rapes are acquaintance rapes,' and there are more rapists under 20 than ever before, ” Wiemann says. Living in a society in which one out of three women is raped sometimes causes women to ' ‘block out fear in day-to-day life," Anderton says. Instead, they choose to live with the violence and the unofficial curfew. Workshops sponsored by the Rape Crisis Network and the campus YWCA are scheduled from 10 a m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Harris Hall Workshops will deal with rape prevention, pornography, vio lence and sexual harrassment. Other workshops include a self defense demonstration, a discus sion of feminist erotica and a men's panel on violence against women. Men are invited to the work shops but are asked not to march. A rally begins at 7:30 p.m. at Harris Hall. The march follows, winding its way through the downtown area, the University area and back to the hall. For more information, call 344-5273 or 485-6746. b*\ Great Rock & Roil Friday & Saturday 50c OFF COVER with this coupon . Saturday Night Only Remember our Pitcher Sale Fridays, 4 to 7 ~£mu Cultural Forum Presents William McLinn as Mark Twain turns social critic for the ‘80s MARK TWAIN "WAR "PEACE Sunday, May 9th 8 pm Beall Hall, U of O School of Music rvj 7 Includes an open Question and Answer session. “It takes a very original person to imitate a master as the master would imitate himself, and (he does) it well.” BILL MOYERS Tickets: $2.50 Students $3.50 General Public At EM(J Main Desk and at the door Endorsed by Clergy and Laity concerned Open 10-6 Mon. thru Sat. 446 E. 13th St. Next to Bijou Theater 342-8339 REMEMBER MAMA MAY 9th with great CARDS GIFTS BOOKS from LOGOS BOOKSTORE Thank you for not running away from home ' during my adolescent years ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
