Rape and sexual assault can be committed by a stranger, acquaintance, close friend, relative, date, or a spouse. Alcohol or other drug use can impair an individual's ability to give consent. The penalties range from imprisonment for up to two years for indecent assault to imprisonment for up to ten years for sexual assault and twenty years for rape, in addition to fines and restitution. The statute of limitations for reporting rape, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault is five years and two years for reporting indecent assault. They function to discredit victims and make them feel personally responsible so they will not report the rape.
Myths also give women a false sense of security and disinhibit the behavior of rapists.
Replacing myths with facts is the first step in altering the conditions that lead to rape. Rape is a sexual crime, impulsively committed by a man for sexual gratification. Rape is a crime of violence and aggression. Its intent is to overpower, degrade, and humiliate the victim. Rape can't happen to me or to someone I know.