When anti-rape activist Amber Amour was raped at the end of last year in Cape Town, South Africa, she was in the middle of her Stop Rape Educate world tour. The horrific irony doesn’t even begin to bear thinking about.
Amber was first sexually assaulted when she was 12. Then again when she was 24, by her roommate in her native New York. A policeman said to her, ‘Maybe he thought you meant yes’. And so her campaign Stop Rape Educate was born to ‘end sexual violence against women, men, and children by educating the public on rape culture, consent, and healthy boundaries.’
As part of her campaign, Amber, now 27, embarked on a world tour, using her method of chalk art to spread awareness and help educate. However, when she reached Cape Town, she was raped in the hostel she was staying in.
But, rather than give up and go home, Amber chose to do something very different. ‘I immediately knew that I couldn’t keep what had happened a secret,’ she told Marie Claire. ‘Here I was, telling survivors every single day that they should speak up... I knew I had to practise what I preached. So the first thing I did was take a picture and write a post, describing what had happened.’
Following the support Amber received on social media, she decided to take her case to the police. She later posted an image of the rape kit being used on her in the hospital and another long missive speaking out against the shame rape survivors often feel.
Since then, Amber’s had a struggle to get justice. She posted on Facebook that, after being in South Africa for a month, the police still hadn’t interrogated the man who raped her. ‘They have his number, they know where to find him, but they keep coming to me to get MY story correct. Excuse me South African police, am I the victim or accused? Because I can’t help but feel that I’m being treated like a criminal as the man who raped me roams freely...’
Finally, on January 2, he was arrested and has now been released on bail for the princely sum of $75. Amber says she’s going to continue the case, but has unfortunately had to cancel subsequent stops on the Stop Rape Educate tour.
About a week after the rape, Amber posted a series of screenshots on Instagram of trolls who chose to blame her for the attack. They make for a shocking read and only serve as evidence as to why Amber’s campaign is needed.
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Here’s hoping Amber’s case is able to reducate some of these people.
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Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.