On January 24th, 2011, a representative of the Toronto Police gave a speech in which he stated: "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized."
This comment is alarming coming from an individual in a place authority as it discourages victims/ survivors to come forward for support. It is important to hold those in positions of power, not just the police, accountable for the dangerous ideas they reflect into the community. We must also recognize that these notions are held by many in our society. This was one individual speaking the minds of many folks in our communities. This is the problem. We live in a society that believes that women are responsible for not getting raped. Being assaulted isn't about what you wear; it's not even about sex; by simply using a derogatory term to rationalize inexcusable behaviour it creates an environment in which it's okay to blame the victim/survivor.
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