Journalist on Rhodes rape list proclaims innocence, solidarity

A JOURNALIST named in a published list of men alleged to have raped women at Rhodes has written a passionate statement protesting both his innocence and his repugnance for a system that causes rape victims such trauma.

Daily Vox journalist Stuart Hoosen-Lewis wrote that the system the publishers of the list were fighting was rigged against victims of sexual violence and enabled their persecution and repeated victimisation by placing a rape survivor on trial. He said he rejected that system.

“To this end, the only response I can offer in all conscience is to deny that I have done anything which warrants my inclusion on such a list.

“I do so knowing that this accusation will remain in the ether for the rest of my life, and knowing that I can do very little about that without forcing an accuser to go public and to court and, doing so, put herself on trial.

“I also do so knowing that any harm which this has done to me personally, to my relationships with my wife, family, friends and employers, is a fraction of the trauma incurred by rape survivors whose experiences of abuse, more often than not, go unbelieved.”

He said it was an uncomfortable irony that men named on the list had a right to be believed innocent until proven guilty, and be given a chance to defend themselves against any accusations.

“This system, however, does not extend these same conditions to victims of sexual violence.”

He said it was his fervent hope that the system could be changed and that the ultimate effect of the list was that society would acknowledge the inadequacies of the criminal justice system in addressing gender-based violence.

“[I hope] that we can find a way for an accuser to feel safe enough to come forward, have her experiences in heard and acknowledged, while also providing us both with our constitutional right to a fair hearing.”

He said he was in an impossible situation. “I cannot answer this accusation as it is anonymous and its details have not been made public.

“I cannot demand that my accuser comes forward, as I cannot forcibly expose her to this thoroughly broken and often traumainducing system.

“I can only proclaim my innocence of the allegation of which I am accused.”

The Gender Action Project’s (GAP) Sian Ferguson earlier told the Dispatch there had been an amazing show of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault during the protests.

But, she said, there was a lot of hurt, anger and upset with management and police. She vowed things would not go back to normal any time soon.

“There are a lot of names not on that list.”