Let’s imagine, for a moment, that we treated other crimes in the same way as we so often treat sexual violence.
“You were robbed? So why were you taking your cell phone with you? Was it a loan?”
“Was he run over? And why did he cross the street at that moment?”
“You were the victim of a scam? And why were you so naive?”
These examples seem absurd – and they are. However, it is precisely this type of reasoning that continues to be applied to victims of sexual violence, minimizing the seriousness of the crime and shifting responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim.
This is what happened again in Cristina Ferreira’s most recent comments about the case of an alleged rape of a young woman by four men. It’s not about judging intentions, but about recognizing the real impact of words, especially when said by someone with enormous public visibility.
Rape is not “having sex.”
And the concept of consent continues to be deeply misunderstood. Consent is a clear, free, informed and continuous “yes”. It’s not silence, it’s not fear, it’s not immobility, it’s not confusion, it’s not vulnerability, it’s not giving in to pressure, it’s not an attempt to avoid conflict, it’s not an inability to react.
Consent is not presumed, it is not interpreted, it is not guessed. It doesn’t depend on the clothes, the time, the place, the emotional state or the relationship between people. It is not valid if there is fear, intoxication, inequality of power, manipulation or inability to resist.
And, above all, it can be removed at any time. If there is no explicit “yes”, there is a “no”. Always. This is the basic rule that protects everyone, and which should guide any public analysis of sexual violence.
Whenever concepts are confused, a dangerous narrative is reinforced: that the victim could have avoided the crime. And this narrative has profound consequences.
Firstly, on that specific victim. A young woman who has been raped does not need to be judged by society. It needs to be protected, believed and accompanied.
Secondly, it silences all other victims. Every time a victim sees another being blamed, they learn a devastating lesson: “If I speak up, they will say it was my fault.” And shut up. And isolate yourself. And he doesn’t look for help. Blaming the victim is one of the biggest factors in underreporting of sexual violence.
Thirdly, forgive those who attack. When you focus on the victim’s behavior, you take the focus off the only person responsible: whoever committed the crime. Sexual violence does not happen because someone was not careful or did not know how to make themselves heard. It happens because someone decided to rape. And it is this decision – and only this – that must be examined.
Sexual violence is not a topic for improvisation, light opinion or speculation. It is a complex phenomenon, with devastating consequences, which requires presenters and commentators who are prepared, informed and capable of communicating responsibly.
We need, as a society, to stop asking “what did the victim do?” and start asking “why did someone rape”?
We need to educate on consent, create safe spaces where victims can be heard without judgment and hold those who attack, not those who suffer, accountable.
Sexual violence is a crime.
And, like any crime, it must be analyzed with rigor, empathy and responsibility.
It’s never the victim’s fault. Never.
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