I would like to offer a special note of thanks to Anna Fleck, the director of the Blair County Rape Crisis Program. Anna very generously advised me when I was planning this story, so that I could accurately describe a victim’s reaction to rape, and she read the completed manuscript to make sure I had done so. The only thing she asked in return was that I not portray my heroine as making a miraculous and complete recovery from her ordeal after only a few weeks, but rather that I realistically show how Lori’s recovery was a gradual process, one she will continue working through for the rest of her life.
Lori McClintock was the victim of what we now call “date rape” or “acquaintance rape.” While most people think of a rapist as a perverted monster who leaps out on his victims from the bushes or breaks into their homes in the dark of night and beats them brutally into submission before raping them, the fact is that most rapists appear perfectly normal and function normally, except for their predilection for forcing women they meet or already know to have sex with them whether the women are willing or not. These rapists only use as much force as necessary to subdue their victims and often take no pleasure from hurting them. Their goal is simply to exert their power over women, and they do this by forcing them to have intercourse against their will.
While acquaintance rape is probably most common, it is also the kind of rape least often reported and most difficult to prosecute. The victim typically has no serious injuries to prove she was coerced or that she resisted, and often she was voluntarily in the rapist’s company, perhaps even on a date with him. The rapist offers a convincing defense, too, since he truly believes himself to be innocent of wrongdoing because “she asked for it.”
But just because a woman knows her attacker and wasn’t seriously injured in the attack does not make her any less a victim of rape. In fact, such victims may suffer more because friends and family and law enforcement officials often do not believe the victims or sympathize with them. Like Lori, these victims endure the double humiliation of being somehow blamed for their own attack. Or worse, they are too ashamed to admit what happened and never seek help at all.
If you or someone you know is a victim of acquaintance rape or rape of any kind, do not hesitate to seek help. Most communities have rape crisis programs with trained counselors who will believe you and will help you deal with the trauma. Whether or not you seek to prosecute the rapist, and no matter how much time has passed since the attack, counseling can help.
As a result of researching this book, I have developed a tremendous respect for women who have survived the trauma of rape and for those who help them. I only hope this book will contribute in some small way toward educating the public to recognize acquaintance rape for the crime that it is so that it will no longer be tolerated or misunderstood, as has happened so often in the past.
I love to hear from my readers. If you would like to tell me how you enjoyed this book and would like a newsletter telling you when my next book will be coming out, please send a long self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Victoria Thompson
P.O. Box 134
Duncansville, PA 16635-0134