A Tale of Two Women

[blue_mangos]

Two stories are making the rounds of the internet which display the same theme. In the first, a Bangladesh woman cut off the penis of her attempted rapist to take it to the police as proof of the attack. Police say he will be arrested as soon as he is in better condition. This may surprise those among you who assume that since I am a feminist I am

Comments

[policraticus]

Story one has a strong element of he said/she said. It should be pretty easy to confirm his story, those kind of affairs are rarely 100% secret. If he was really trying to rape her, far from being prosecuted, it seems to me she acted in self defense and should be commended for her courage and determination. However, I might suggest that next time she stick the knife in his eye.

Story two is more troubling. We cannot allow that kind of personal revenge in a civil society, although we might ask how civil is a society that allows a convicted rapist a 3 pass to go home and drink. So, while I sympathize with her emotions, reason forces me to agree that she should be prosecuted. A gentle confinement for a year seems about right. She wasn't allowed to get away with it scot free, but she wasn't punished with the severity that might be thought appropriate for someone else who sets a person on fire in a crowded bar.

Violence against our own attackers is the only answer. That is what self defense means. If you are trying to rape me or harm me I have an absolute right to protect my life and preserve it, even if it costs you your life, or your penis. Vigilante justice cannot be tolerated or civil society breaks down. If we have clear and evenly enforced laws, if victims see that they get justice from the courts, the point will be moot. Extreme cases, like the one in Spain, have to be judged on a case by case basis.