Report No. 84

7.2. Disadvantageous position of the victim.-

When one views the matter exclusively from the point of view of the victim, the difficulties which confront a woman who alleges she has been raped, become apparent. First, she must convince the police, then be subjected to a medical examination and finally undergo an embarrassing and humiliating cross-examination in Court. In rape cases, evidence about the victim's past sexual or gynaecological experiences is presumed to have a bearing on the outcome of the trial.