Why do rape victims often freeze rather than scream or fight back? This is an often misunderstood aspect of rape. Researchers have found from interviewing women, that they often froze while being assaulted.
“I froze,” said a woman who was assaulted during a military training exercise. “I just froze,” said Lady Gaga, about being assaulted when she was 19.
Some police officers treat reports of freezing as a basis to doubt an assault allegation. Those attitudes are one reason that a small portion of reported rapes lead to criminal charges. And yet, we elect legislators that pass laws restricting what assaulted women can do should they become pregnant as a result of rape or incest.
Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill” states no abortion is authorized or should be performed if a fetus has been determined to have a detectable human heartbeat except when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest in which an official police report has been filed.
The tendency is to blame the victims of sexual assault with “She should not have drank so much, why did she go to that party?, etc”. Victims often have a fear of retaliation from their attackers, also. Knowing how many women are treated after an assault, our Georgia Legislators included language in HB481 that would discourage a sexual assault victim from seeking an abortion. This was an intended effect of this bill.
As a female legislator said, “It is about control.” There are more female registered voters in the state of Georgia, than men. Women can make a difference in 2024.
J.W. Mooney
Winder