Looks like victim blaming is still all the rage. How many times have you ever heard guys (and sometimes girls) say in response to reports of rape/sexual assault/sexual harassment, “well, what was she wearing?”

Cue my vomit.

This is something I’ve come to sadly expect from your typical college douchebag or conservative asshole. So I don’t know why I’m surprised to hear that a cop in Toronto, giving safety tips to students at a law school, offered this gem: “don’t dress like a slut.”

On Jan. 24, a campus safety information session was held at Osgoode Hall, where members from York security and two male officers from Toronto police 31 Division handed out safety tips to community
members.

Ronda Bessner, who attended the session, remembered being surprised by what the officer suggested to women.

“One of the safety tips was for women not to dress like ‘sluts.’ He said something like, ‘I’ve been told I shouldn’t say this,’ and then he uttered the words,” said Bessner, Osgoode assistant dean of the Juris Doctor Program. “I was shocked and appalled. I made contact with the police […] and we’ve asked for a written apology and an explanation.”

Idiot. I mean, how would this guy feel if his daughter/sister/mother was attacked and then blamed because she was wearing a short skirt?

How one dresses is NEVER an “excuse” for rape. Not that there are any excuses for rape or unwanted physical advances. Ever.

This incident is more egregious than your “normal,” everyday victim blaming. This cop is an authority figure who is supposed to enforce the law — which is supposed to protect rape victims, not blame them.

Categories: Violence

Tags: Blame, Crime, Osgoode Hall, Rape, rape culture, Sexual assault, Toronto, Victim blaming, Violence and Abuse, York University