Eight teenaged boys have escaped a jail term for their sexual abuse, rape and torture of a 17 year old girl in the Werribee case from last year. They even flaunted their privileged audacity to film the abuse of the girl who also suffers from mild learning difficulties. A judge ruled they should complete a rehabilitation program to prevent them repeating their “callous” crimes.
“The film, which sparked a police investigation after excerpts were broadcast on national television, also showed the boys urinating on the girl and writing the film’s title, “C— The Movie” on her breasts”
To continue with these boys utter disregard and disgust for a vulnerable female who, by the way also set fire to her hair several times.
One boy says, ” F—, she’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” during the film, which was sold to students at Melbourne schools for $5 apiece.
Not even a ‘slap on the wrist’ and looking more like a ‘boys will be boys’ and while we’re here let’s look at their ‘problems’ that may have caused them to abuse and torture a human being because of her gender.
“The worker will develop a plan with the teens to work through problems that might have contributed to their offending, which usually involves organising hobbies for them or talking to teachers about getting them help at school”
Nothing like trying to unravel in a few months, Oh, a few thousand years of misogyny and male supremacy to try and get to the root of their hatred and contempt. Reality check; these boys are not slavering psychopaths, the odd one out.
This is our real existence.
Boys are being taught that this is not wrong, that this is all females are worth – to rape, film and sell to your mates for a few bucks. Women are profitable and as the video in my previous post shows “[not] for sale”
Her humiliation, degradation, pain and terror are your entertainment.
Do men have an aversion to evolvement – or something? You know, this has gone on for thousands of years: various and multiple gendercides including the Witch Hunts, (which haven’t ceased – just continue in a different guise, or not, as the case may be) female genital mutilation, forced pregnancy, ever increasing violent pornography, prostitute entitlement, incest, trafficking, damaging beauty standards, foot binding, breast ‘ironing’ and the rest. And of course ensuring that dominance prevails by making sure we have corrupt and like minded individuals running the judiciary system.
iit may be argued (weakly) that pornography does not make rapists but it sure as hell breeds desensitised juries and law enforcers.
A hierarchical tier of Terrorism has been created and perpetuated – generation after generation.
I’m sick of asking why. I think it’s up to men to question what the fuck are they up to?
You see, THIS is the kind of shit that makes me feel capable of violence. As if negotiating with these rapists is ever going to be a solution. Dear God, I can’t accept that finding them a hobby (!!!!) is any kind of answer, and that anyone thinks it is just beggars belief. Thanks for this Sparkle, it’s a reality check. Pippa x
I didn’t mean that your post was shit, I was referring to the whole story. I hope you got that! Pippa x
I heard the tale recently of a friend of a friend whose little brother (16ish) used his mobile phone to film ‘up skirt’ shots. Now ok, this isn’t rape (though it is as a sexual offence) but where did he get this idea? Maybe all the ‘up skirt’ shots in lads mags? The obsession with filming this, and other assaults, shows that the pornified culture is an influence. Which isn’t the same as saying it’s an excuse, but we need to understand the whole picture.
No worries Pippa
I’ve been wondering just how far these boys had to go – what other atrocities would they have to inflict before this girls pain and humiliation would be fully recognised in the eyes of the law?
I agree Hairy Lesbian, this filming assaults or voyeuristic opportunities (which are actually creepily invasive and abusive in my eyes) are influenced by Lad’s Mags and the general pornified culture that we live in.
A friend of mine whose (she doesn’t mind me mentioning on here) creepy boyfriend has just put some rather risqué pictures of her somewhere on the net without permission. She was none too pleased and told him to take them down and his attitude was appalling! He honestly couldn’t see her objections and huffed and puffed about it. He honestly couldn’t see any reason why she should object because it’s ‘cool’ and ‘hot’ and ’everyone’s doing it’
His obsession with all things pornographic is causing huge relationship problems. Loads more significant stuff which I’ll not go into on here but all of them are related to porn which he freely admits.
[...] [Sparkle, Heart] [...]
It pisses me off that this is what it takes to get you blogging. Beyond that, I can’t do much more than hurt.
hl – I’m forever grateful that camera phones weren’t common at the time I had a bf. And that I’ve managed to avoid ever having a bf since.
The only thing that stopped him taking photos was the fact that he never had a camera handy – he talked about wanting to all the time. Today there’s nothing to stop kids recording whatever images they like, since most carry camera phones.
I’ve read so many stories of girls photographed without their permission, and each, individual story is sickening. Together – unthinkable. A case like this may have been newsworthy, but no female is safe.
Okay, I’m just haddit now – nah, I don’t think I want to reveal the phrase that just popped up on my computer (My li’l bro’ has just changed his sign-in name back to the old one
Do I laugh or cry?
This is how pornified our world is. The harassment that may have occured fifteen, twenty years ago is magnified now because the tools are there – communication, recording – to hand and available to most.
“Rapist punks get wrist slapping”
Pooor boyz, just being good little socialised patriarchs. Or should that be sociopaths?
There was never any remorse from these little shits, not even after they were caught, they were still bragging about their ‘exploits’ [torture and sexual assault of a defenceless human] on the internet.
Boyz will be boyz?
Considering this was a pre-meditated ambush by a gang on their trusting victim, I think now is the time to ask “What the fuck is wrong with males?” That includes the rape-apologist judge too.
Do we even need to ponder why women and girls are reluctant to report rape? Even when the rapists film the rape, it is STILL not enough to get a conviction.
And to the so-called feminists (‘pro-porn feminists’: an oxymoron) — defend the porn all you like — or doesn’t this one count because it was amateur-made? The result was the same; a female raped and abused for male profit and pleasure. What? You haven’t noticed the pattern yet? Sucking up to teh menz won’t protect you forever you know.
/rant
Hi Sparkle!
hairylesbian – “Now ok, this isn’t rape (though it is as a sexual offence) but where did he get this idea? Maybe all the ‘up skirt’ shots in lads mags?”
In the US, after several men were caught upskirting women and girls, we discovered that we had no law against it. With regards to the camera-phone issue, I read somewhere that gyms have started to ban them from the premises for fears that people will take naked pictures of people in locker rooms and publish them. It’s like high-tech Peeping Tom-ism or like toilet pervs – though I think that the new craze for “homemade porn”, where much of the thrill seems to be from the grittiness, brutality and perceived “real”-ness has certainly contributed to this.
I think the law is probably different in the UK LM, because it is voyeurism, which is a sexual offence here. There are US peeping tom sites which are illegal to view here. And yet again You Tube is involved here. There was a huge row about them here recently when an 11 year old boy was shot in what seemed to be a gang shooting gone wrong, and the rival gangs involved had posted films of them posing with guns on You Tube. How can anyone say porn doesn’t have an influence? We live in a culture where people only think they are real and validated if they can see themselves in moving pictures – which is where the trouble starts IMHO.
Hi your self stormy
& Maia, sophie, LM of course 
There was a gang rape a couple of years ago in a pub [toilet] near where I was staying. At the time everyone was rightly horrified that the men taped their assault on a camera phone. Now, hardly anyone bats an eye.
I’m flying to Portugal tomorrow at-the-crack-of-dawn for a holiday. Got loads of books will travel. Bon voyage feminist friends and I’ll see you soon. x
Enjoy your holiday Sparkle. xxx
Will miss you on the 25th
would have wished the sparkling one a good break, but as ever i am too late. i will content myself with a huge hi to stormy – missed you.
“…to work through problems that might have contributed to their offending, which usually involves organising hobbies for them or talking to teachers about getting them help at school”
The, er, ‘problems’, that lead to their offending are definitely not going to be solved with ‘hobbies’. They need some pretty major re-education, because their ‘problems’ are some totally effed up normative socialisation, and getting them to play football so that they don’t waste their youth raping people, isn’t going undo everything for their victim. What have they suggested for her? Some constructive leisure pursuits so she doesn’t go and ‘get herself raped’ again?
Sorry to be kind of harsh there but I’ve just totally lost faith in the judiciary (and well, a large section of this world, approximately 49.9%) – female offenders get sent to prison left, right and centre for petty theft, males get, well nothing, for committing rape – hmmm. [Yeah yeah, not all men etc etc /disclaimer]
[...] Sparkle*Matrix also discusses this appalling case in ‘Update: Werribee boys walk free.’: [...]
What if you decided that sexism will always be an inherent trait of men? What if you decided that the horror described in your article will always be with us, and in fact, that we are now at the pinnacle of gender equality and the status of women will only decrease as time progresses?
What if you have developed a set of simple, logical proofs which not even the most man-loving feminist has been able to refute?
What would you do with this information?
What would you do if you knew how to end sexism – for eternity – a solution which requires no loss of life but does require patience and ruthlessness?
What would you do? Would you go around shouting it from the rooftops, or would you discreetly search out a few people in key positions to help? (Keep in mind I don’t know the right people, or even know people who know the right people.)
What. Would. You. Do?
Perhaps a private email would be better? I really don’t know anymore, and I question my sanity frequently.
This one is fine for all:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22808222-23109,00.html
“A 15-YEAR-old girl was put in a Brazilian jail cell with more than 20 men, and for a month was raped relentlessly and forced to have sex for food, human rights groups say.”
This same thing had happened to a 23 year old female prior to this one — must be a game they like to play. Wonder how many of these “games” never make the news?
Hi everyone – back from holidays. I’m still coming in to land so to speak
After 12 days of media blackout and just chillin in the mountains i’ve come home rather Zen. However, reading around the blogs this cold and sunny morning I doubt its gonna last. Oh well.
Hi m Andrea and welcome. The incident in that link is hideous but unfortunately not surprising. I’m also aware enough to realise that this is certainly not an isolated incident or two. Men in power where women have little or no power are rich breeding grounds for misogyny to flourish. By coincidence I have just watched an interview by porn star “Belladonna” on http://www.myspace.com/stoppornculture where a group prison rape is used as an example of some of the real violence she has experienced (in the name of male entertainment) I’ve also just read this http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org/content/view/1923/59/ re the rape epidemic in the Congo.
“Every day, 10 new women and girls who have been raped show up at his hospital. Many have been so sadistically attacked from the inside out, butchered by bayonets and assaulted with chunks of wood, that their reproductive and digestive systems are beyond repair”
“We don’t know why these rapes are happening, but one thing is clear,” said Dr. Mukwege, who works in South Kivu Province, the epicenter of Congo’s rape epidemic. “They are done to destroy women.”
“They are done to destroy women”
So to answer your questions: maybe keep shouting it from the roof tops because in one way or another I feel that all of us are the “right people”. Especially when it become enough of us people – to be heard.
For instance I’ve worked in a voluntary capacity for a refugee and asylum seekers project. Most of the women in this project are survivors of rape. Many of them from the Congo and other places where rape and torture of women is used as a weapon of war and a perfect opportunity to flex those misogynist muscles. The principal of the agency has made it her job to educate the Police of the different horrors that women face in the event of war. Urging men to realise that rape is torture and challenging the Home Office to stop the deportation of women who will certainly return to systematic rape and torture. But sometimes I just don’t know, indeed it does seem as though we are pissing in the wind or fire fighting.
Interestingly (or not) I have an anti feminist goblin in my moderation queue banging on that I am “sexist” – (against men I presume) and that I “hate men”— because I have highlighted a few historical and present day atrocities accomplished by men against women.
Look goblin – when “woman hater” carries as much venom and suggestion of psychological derangement as “man hater” then I may give you a second glance. When women have a mammoth hierarchy backing them up and holding their hand — then — female on male “sexism” may mean something. And I mean something even remotely significant. Until then? Just go away.
And as far as the “likes of me” “damaging the whole feminist movement” I am delighted that you have afforded me such incredible powers and hey before you know it — I may have taken over the world.
Great post!
Hi April – welcome and thanks
Ok, looking at my comment a fews days later — sheesh! Was I freaking! lol. Thanks for your very kind reply Sparkle, I had no idea you were doing so much good!
If I thought that men were ever going to stop with the sexism, then hearing about these constant horrors wouldn’t bother me so much. Yes, things have improved, especially in the west, but trends are not inherencies and with the economic and social repercussions from cheap energy declining — well, I am very afraid for women in the years to come.
I always seek out experts on both sides of an argument before drawing my own conclusions, but the doomers appear to have the facts weighted to their side on this one. The west is headed for some serious times ahead, and the anthropologists are very clear that in every case of resource contraction, the status of women declines.
The price of gas has risen 20% a year, on average, starting in 2001. Nitrogen, used in farming, has quadrupled in price in the last two years. There’s a new “miracle cure” energy source in the news every day, as there has been for the last several years, and yet none of them ever manage to be scaleable to market.
If sexism isn’t going to stop, and eventually get worse, well, I start asking myself some very hard questions. And then I start muttering to myself and turn into another internet crackpot!
With reference to sexism being innate.
Using the theory that DNA and cellular memories are capable of ‘remembering’ and the ‘acting out’ of ancestral patterns. That these actually become encoded into the substance carrying the organism’s genetic information – then yes behaviours such as sexism may become encrypted into cellular memory. This would be totally out of the organisms control unless they work to release ancestral memories/patterns.
So the problem lies with the incalculable past memories and ancestral beliefs stored in the DNA and cellular unconscious. These are lying down inside of everybody… in the unconscious mind… and are the source of the reactions which create the dilemma between what we know we are and how we (seemingly uncontrollably) behave. They comprise past behavioural patterns, past self judgements, past Self Limiting Decisions. Denied, not accepted and not recognised.
IOW maybe sexism has become inherent. I say maybe because for a start I don’t know! These are purely musings drawing in some of the study I have done on ancestral/cellular memory. And where does conditioning come in? Does that merely reinforce and/or trigger a potentiality?
Don’t worry m Andrea I muse and mutter plenty
Will catch up on comments soon – but hope you had a good holiday and glad to see you back
Ever since I heard about this case I’ve been angry about it… it makes me feel sick. That poor girl. How can people say we have equal rights, how can people say that feminism is no longer needed, when shit-for-brains boys like this get away from horrific acts like this with no justice?
I dunno about the intra cellular memories sparks, though clearly a large part of our selves is unknown to us on a conscious level. I tend to go more for sexism being a ‘meme’ a la Richard Dawkins – a virus of the mind. Human beings have a tendency to replicate behaviour they see around them. Which kind of brings us back to porn really. When governments are worriting on about the ‘obesity crisis’ someone always points out that we now live in a society which not only facilitates weight gain, but makes it inevitable – loads of high calorie foods and little exercise. I can’t understand why they then have difficulty making the same connection with porn everywhere you look and rape. Or are their minds dreadfully sophisticated in a way mine isn’t?
Thanks LM yes I did have a good time, just wish I was still there. It’s freezing here. :/
Yes Anji I agree – equal rights to what? It seems to have been used against us, demonstrated (one example) by the ‘gender ambiguousness’ in the recent trend of crime reporting. And yes, who ever claims that we don’t need feminism any more needs to either get out of denial or stop purposely attempting to manipulate the public. The media here in the UK play a big part in this.
Hi Polly – yes, it’s purely a theory I study (within a psychology framework) that manifests it’s self, particularly in cellular memories concerning religion. A sort of historical brainwash that can be triggered by Vaticorp ™ words such as ‘spiritual’ ‘blessed’ ’divine’ and so forth. (Remembering of course that misogyny is an under pinner of Judo-Christianity and Islam.) It suggests that many religious beliefs/attitudes have become ‘inherent’, passed on through the DNA even if we don’t consider ourselves to be ‘religious.’ I suppose I’m roughly attempting to apply it within this instance. Anyway, it’s a huge subject that I don’t profess to be an authority on in the slightest.
However Dawkins ’virus’ theory may fit with the ’cellular memory’ theory – not in a virus that you become infected with through conditioning alone but though unconsciousness memories too. A “virus” that is passed on genetically – somewhat like a
computer virus that unless you ‘wipe the system clear’ it perpetuates. But, the question is – how do you re-format and then re-boot thousands of years of misogyny that is reinforced by sexism on day one?
When governments are worriting on about the ‘obesity crisis’ someone always points out that we now live in a society which not only facilitates weight gain, but makes it inevitable – loads of high calorie foods and little exercise. I can’t understand why they then have difficulty making the same connection with porn everywhere you look and rape.
I think they do make the connection, but it would not serve them to confront male entitlement/supremacy, the mighty penis and capitalism all in one go. Especially when those in authority are male with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
Disclaimer: I’m not advocating that misogyny is innate, these are purely personal musings.
eta: I’m wondering if there are a few things at play here. Stuff that’s buried and seemingly inaccessible in the unconscious together with the conditioning of the male’s development of ‘masculinity’
This study of inheritance is named epigenetics – hidden influence upon the genes.
I’m a man. Yes yes, get your boo’s and hisses out.
Now that that’s over, I believe that anyone who commits rape deserves death. No ifs. No buts. No life sentences in prison.
Death. Plain and simple.
Rape is an inexcusable atrocity. And those who commit it should be completely wiped from the genepool.
Now listen, as far as cellular memory is concerned, there is no scientific evidence whatsoever which indicates that sort of memory exists. None. It’s a nice theory, but as a man, I find it pretty offensive to have women believing that I am prejudice simply because my ancestors were. It’s kind of like saying that white people are inherently racist against blacks, simply because a bunch of them had slaves. Or it’s like saying that all women have a natural tendency to be home makers because their cellular memory tells them to.
I treat women the way I would want to be treated. Plain and simple.
And I’m not quite sure where you guys get off on saying that men hate women. I mean, sure, there are a lot of guys that probably do hate women. But all the guys I have ever known LOVE women! We can;t wait to be around women! And we treat women like queens! I frankly thoroughly enjoy the company of women. And I consider myself to be one of those “manly men” that the readers of this website seem to hate so much.
I’m just trying to understand. Help me understand.
Hi A Man
Sorry but your expectations of boos & hisses are just that – your own expectations. If men comment on here in a respectful manner, then what is there to object to?
As far as inherited memories are concerned, yes they are theories, as are most attempts at explanations of human behaviour. The basic sociological structure vs. agency arguments for one. However, there is some strong evidence in support of inherited predisposition to PTSD and survivor guilt in ancestors of the holocaust, Vietnam War and historical displacement of persecuted groups and tribes. It is not as simple as determinism or eugenics as it is related to the individual’s predisposition.
Very small sample.
http://psychiatry.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2007/1210/1
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=170100940
In addition, the ‘memory’s’ ‘predispositions’ and so forth are likely to be scattered about among a great number of genes, and those traits are likely to emerge more from patterns of gene interaction than from single genes.
So in fact, we are still discovering what may be inherited. Moreover, the key words here are ‘individual’ and ‘predisposition’ so no; it does not transfer over neatly to a generalisation such as ‘race‘.
I didn’t have a problem with A Man’s comment. That is, up until:
The usual defence of misogynists is that they “love women”. Magazines (and the readers) of Nuts and Zoo for example.
Can’t wait to be around women? Sheesh, why? Sounds a tad wierd to me. Me thinks ‘can’t wait’ = ‘can’t wait to shag one’.
‘Manly men’ = sounds like caught up in the prescribed role of masculinity to me. By that same definition I would be a ‘Manly Woman’ with my love of beer, darts and pool…
As for the hating thing, it is probably more pity and disdain than anything else. Sorry to disappoint the projection thing you’ve got going on.
Yeah stormy I think ‘treat women like queens’ is the bit that sticks for me – would that be drag queens? How about treating them like fellow human beings you want to interact with on an equal basis, not members of an alien race?
True Polly, the pedestal is just as much of a prison (and disrespect) as the gutter.
EQUAL EQUAL EQUAL
Is it such a hard fucking concept?
No pedestals, no gutters, just equality.
Thanks stormy and Polly, I get tired of having to go over the same old stuff with some of the comments on here.
It’s also suggestive of the virgin-whore dichotomy.
Sparkle, how many times have we (collective we) been over this same shit over and over again?
These dudes keep bringing it up like they’re the firstest ones that ever though of it*.
If we wanted one word to describe patriarchy, it would be repetition. Throw in domination too I guess. OK two words then. So I can’t decide on a word limit — so sue me.
The word that describes feminist — bored. Or bored shitless. Again with the multiple wordy thingy. 1-800-SO-SUE-ME. Like I give a damn.
*It being ’shit du jour’.
ps- ‘queen’ my arse. How insulting is that?