By Sara Poric ’26
If you’ve never watched the show Baby Reindeer, it follows the life of comedian Donny Dunn. He was groomed and raped by Darrien, an older comedian and writer who acted as Donny’s mentor. Donny is a perfect example of how rape and sexual assault can impact and consume a victim’s life. It can affect the victim for the rest of their life. It can change them into a whole new person, as it did with Donny. That’s why I believe rapists and sexual assaulters deserve worse punishment than what they get. The punishment for rapists and sexual assaulters should be a longer prison sentence or even the death penalty. They need to repent for ruining the victim’s life and causing them endless pain, be held accountable for their actions, and reduce the number of rapists/sexual assaulters that are let free every day.
“Every 68 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted” (RAINN). Please let that sink in. Every minute, an American is sexually assaulted. Every minute, an American’s life is ruined in an instant, and that’s only including Americans, not even the whole world. We need to do something about this issue, and we need to do it now. RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) also notes, “1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted)” and “about 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.” While women are raped and sexually assaulted more, men are, too.
No matter the gender of the abuser, they deserve a longer sentence or the death penalty. The punishments for rape and sexual assault vary from state to state. Rape sentences can “range from one year to even life in prison, depending on the provisions of each state’s sentencing statute or sentencing guidelines, the victim’s age or status, and the circumstances of the crime” (“Rape Laws, Defenses and Penalties”). The fact that these sick individuals may only get a few years in prison for their crimes is absurd. These individuals deserve much longer sentences, and in severe cases, they deserve the death penalty. Those severe cases include the rape of a child, rape of a family member, etc. RAINN notes, “From 2009-2013, Child Protective Services agencies substantiated, or found strong evidence to indicate that, 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse” (RAINN). Lengthier prison sentences and the death penalty for rapists/sexual assaulters will give victims a sense of closure and justice and will intimidate abusers to make it less likely that they will commit crimes in the first place. These monsters should be put to death for taking away a child’s innocence and corrupting them for life.
So, what can we do to stop rape and sexual assault from happening in the first place? One way we can help prevent them from occurring is for schools to teach children about consent and what to do if you’re in a situation where you might be taken advantage of. Teaching them about consent will help them learn that it is not okay to touch another person inappropriately if the recipient doesn’t want them to. It will also teach them that you can try to protect yourself if they are ever in a situation where they could be abused. Some ways to protect yourself include stalling to buy time to escape, screaming for help if you are in a public area, running toward buildings, lights, or anywhere you think someone can help you, fighting back, and even claiming that you have an STD to try and disgust your attacker (Defending Yourself).
Schools should also teach children not to blame the victims of these crimes. It is no one’s fault except the attacker. It doesn’t matter what clothing the victim was wearing. It doesn’t matter if the victim led the assailant on. It doesn’t matter if the victim was drunk. The victim is never to blame. They never asked to be raped or sexually assaulted, and they don’t need to feel even more ashamed when people tell them “You shouldn’t have provoked them,” or “Boys will be boys.” We need to try and help the victims instead of causing them more suffering. If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, please call the Sexual Assault Hotline number 1-800-656-4673. It can be hard to open up, but talking to another person will help. It worked for me.
Works Cited
Arizona Daily Wildcat. “Rapists, as well as murderers, deserve death.” https://wc.arizona.edu/papers/90/57/05_1_m.html. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Gadd, Richard, creator. Baby Reindeer. Clerkenwell Films, 2024.
RAINN. “National Sexual Assault Hotline: Confidential 24/7 Support.” RAINN, https://www.rainn.org/resources. Accessed 9 May 2024.
RAINN.https://www.rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem. Accessed 9 May 2024.
Rape Crisis England and Wales. “Supporting a survivor.” https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/supporting-a-survivor/. Accessed 9 May 2024.
“Rape Laws, Defenses and Penalties.” CriminalDefenseLawyer, https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/federal/rape.htm#:~:text=Penalties%3A%20Imprisonment&text=Sentences%20for%20rape%20can%20range,the%20circumstances%20of%20the%20crime. Accessed 9 May 2024
Westchester County Government. “Defending Yourself.” Defending Yourself, https://women.westchestergov.com/other-domestic-violence-resources/sexual-assault/defending-yourself. Accessed 16 May 2024.
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