Judge Asks Rape Victim If She Tried Closing Her Legs to avoid rape

Judge Asks Rape Victim If She Tried Closing Her Legs

How does a woman prevent her own rape?

María del Carmen Molina Mansilla, a judge in Spain, asked: “Did you close your legs and all your female organs?” of a rape victim who came before her to request a restraining order from her alleged attacker according to The Local:

The victim, who is four months pregnant, turned up at her local police station in Vitoria, in the Basque Country, on February 16th to make a complaint against a man who had “repeatedly abused her both sexually and physically”.

The next day she was called to make a statement before the judge who “showed obvious disbelief of the testimony of the victim, questioned her without allowing her to answer, asking leading and offensive questions,” explained Blanca Estrella Ruiz of the Clara Campoamor Association.

“A clear example of this attitude is the judge’s repeated questions to the victim on whether she made any attempt to resist aggression including asking her ‘did she close her legs firmly?’ and ‘did she close all of her female organs?’,” the association president told Europa Press.

“Such questions are not only unnecessary to the investigation but are completely offensive and violate the dignity of the victim,” she said.

The association insists the judge has been brought to its attention. “Unfortunately this is not an isolated act but such behaviour (by this judge) is habitual and continuous,” the association said.