Survey finds that 40 percent of Czechs believe rape victims are 'partly responsible'

A new study by Amnesty International has found that 40 percent of Czechs believe that rape victims are “jointly responsible” for the crime in some scenarios.

If a victim of rape – in the vast majority of cases, a female – was acting “flirtatiously,” 41 percent of respondents believe that they hold responsibility for what happened after. A person who did not say a clear “no” to the idea of sex was also partly to blame for the rape, according to 35 percent of respondents. 

Victims who had been drunk at the time of rape are partly responsible, one-third of respondents say.

Despite the sizable proportions of people shifting blame onto the victims, their numbers have actually dropped, showing a shift in attitudes. Just four years ago, 58 percent of people believed victims were, in some situations, partly responsible for rape.

Compared to previous surveys, fewer people now believe that most rapes are committed by strangers. Hůlová dispels this belief, saying “in 90 percent of cases, rape is committed by a person the victim knows well – a friend, partner, spouse, classmate, colleague, or relative." Additionally, "the biggest threat lurks where we would expect safety – for example at home,” Hůlová adds.

Another surprising finding of the study was that “sex without consent” was described as “unjustifiable” by 69 percent of respondents. About 60 percent of men and 77 percent of women agreed with this notion.

"It is clear from the survey that the awareness of the Czech public about the issue of sexual violence is increasing year by year," Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Domestic and Sexual Violence Taťána Malá said in response to the study, ČTK reports.

Although awareness and understanding of sexual violence in Czechia are increasing, many point out the work still needed to reduce the number of people who believe the victim is responsible for rape.