Chrissie Hynde Claims Rape Is A Woman’s Fault
Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde insists that rape can be the fault of scantily clad or provocatively dressed women who “entice” sexual assault in certain instances.
The rock star apparently reached this controversial conclusion based on an unfortunate personal experience in which she described herself as “naive.”
These views have predictably stirred up social media, with many Twitter users weighing in.
In a new memoir called Reckless, Hynde evidently reveals that she was gang raped at age 21 by an Ohio motorcycle gang, an incident for which she now accepts responsibility, according to the Guardian.
“Technically speaking, however you want to look at it, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility. You can’t f*** about with people, especially people who wear ‘I Heart Rape’ and ‘On Your Knees’ badges… those motorcycle gangs, that’s what they do… If I’m walking around in my underwear and I’m drunk? Who else’s fault can it be?”
The front woman of the rock band added in the interview accompanying extracts from the book published in the British press that if a woman is dressed modestly and keeps to herself, it is far less likely that a sexual assault will occur.”You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him. If you’re wearing something that says ‘Come and f*** me’, you’d better be good on your feet… I don’t think I’m saying anything controversial am I?”
Hynde, 63, a mother of two daughters, also suggested that some female rock stars are fake feminists, the Telegraph of London reported.
“Women who sell what their product is by using sex – that’s prostitution. A pop star who’s walking around, parading themselves as a porn star and saying they’re feminists. They’re prostitutes. I’m not making a value judgment on prostitutes, but just say what you are.”
An official with the U.K. crime victims charity Victim Support disagreed with Chrissie Hynde about the who might be responsible for a rape.
“Victims of sexual violence should never feel or be made to feel that they were responsible for the appalling crime they suffered — regardless of circumstances or factors which may have made them particularly vulnerable.They should not blame themselves or be blamed for failing to prevent an attack — often they will have been targeted by predatory offenders who are responsible for their actions.”
Chrissie Hynde No, if a woman choses to wear a short skirt and high heeled shoes it is not an invitation to rape NO EXCUSES FOR RAPE.
— Jane Hersey (@HerseyJane) August 30, 2015
Do you think the Chrissie Hynde comments about rape constitute victim blaming?
[Photo by Terry Wyatt / Getty Images Entertainment]
