Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site tekecs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!tekecs!bmg
From: bmg@tekecs.UUCP (Barbara Gniewosz Theus)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: will 15% really be assaulted...
Message-ID: <4023@tekecs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Sep-84 20:35:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekecs.4023
Posted: Sat Sep  1 20:35:27 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 3-Sep-84 10:24:31 EDT
References: <4016@tekecs.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 29

You ask the question
  Would a woman of 60 be as likely to to raped as a woman of 20?
  Then you answer the question yourself by saying 'hardly'.

Unfortunately you are very wrong.  It is the other way around.  A WOMAN OF
60 IS MORE LIKELY TO BE RAPED THAN A WOMAN OF 20. 

I was told this by a policeman who was at my house investigating a rape
charge.  The following information was reported to me by the investigator. 

As you have said yourself - rape is an act of violence.  The elderly are
much more likely to be attacked in any act of violence.  They are not as
able to run or defend themselves.  They more frequenly live alone.  They 
generally do not report the incidence for fear of being laughed at.   It
seems many people believe as you do (and I did).

You later state that you do not believe the statistic that only 1/4 to
1/6 rapes are actually reported.  You felt 1/3 was a more realistic
figure.  I was told that the reported rapes here in the Portland Oregon area
is believed to be 1 report for 10 to 15 actual rapes. 

The person who broke into our house admitted to having attacked over a dozen
women in 10 months - this was the first report.  After having his confessions,
the police contacted the homes where he broke in and were able to convince most
of the women to admit that they had been attacked.

My information is 6 years old, but I still feel it is valid.  The only real
difference today is that the crime rate in the Portland area is considerably
higher than it was 6 years ago.