A good proportion of people believe that “everybody hates rapists” – but that’s because rape culture has done very well to convince the general population that rapists never look like the men you actually know.

One of the functions of rape culture is that it works especially hard to provide excuses for the rich young white men whose careers and futures are treated with more respect than the bodies of the women they assault.

I thought of this again this week when I read Richard Ackland’s (excellent) analysis of the judgement from the trial against Luke Lazarus. Lazarus, the son of a wealthy Sydney businessman, was initially convicted of anally raping an 18-year-old woman outside one of his father’s nightclubs in 2013. He served 11 months of a three-year sentence before being acquitted on appeal.

During both trials, his defence was supported by character testimonies from other prominent people in Sydney, including the Mayor of Waverley.

 The trial of Lazarus goes to the heart of rape culture in Australia. As is often argued in circumstances like this, Lazarus was described as a “nice guy” who respected women and had “lots of female friends”.
Perhaps it bears repeating, but many abusers are considered to be good people with strong ties in their communities and solid reputations. That doesn’t mean they are incapable of committing heinous acts in private. Many rapists have positive relationships with women.

–  Clemintine Ford

Read More: The Rape Culture That Teens Face Today

Photo Source – flickr