Channel 4 Television

Still Getting Away with Rape

16 March 2000

Campaigning on rape: lobbying your MP

If you feel strongly about the subject of rape and the problems women face in getting their abusers brought to justice, you may wish to lobby your MP on the subject. There are a number of groups that campaign around the issue of rape, which can provide background information and welcome the involvement of more people. Details of these organisations, together with further reading references, are provided under Resources.

Here we provide some basic guidelines on how to go about contacting and lobbying your MP. For further campaigning ideas and activities, contact one of the organisations listed under Resources.

Contacting your MP
You can write to, telephone or visit your MP either in his or her constituency or at the House of Commons. Your MP's local address or other details, such as any 'surgeries' at which he or she is available to meet constituents, can be obtained from your local library or town hall or by contacting his or her office at the House of Commons.

To find out who your MP is call the House of Commons on 020 7219 3000 or, on the web, go to http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/ where you can type in your streetname or postcode and get the details.

To write to your MP, address any correspondence to: (Your MP's name), House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

To telephone your MP, call 020 7219 3000 and ask to speak to your MP or to be put through to his or her office.

You can also obtain fax and e-mail details for your MP by ringing the House of Commons.

To visit your MP at the House of Commons, you should normally write for an appointment in advance. It is possible, however, to turn up when parliament is sitting and ask to see your MP. Since they often have to spend long hours waiting for votes to take place, a surprising number of MPs actually welcome the break offered by a visit from constituents.

How to get there: The House of Commons is located by Westminster tube station. The public are admitted via the St. Stephen's entrance of the House (at the other end of the main building to Big Ben). You will have to state the purpose of your visit and fill in a 'green card' asking to see your MP, who may or may not be available to meet you.

Meeting your MP
The most effective way to make your views known to your MP is undoubtedly a face-to-face meeting. The same basic principles apply whether you are meeting at the House of Commons or in his or her constituency:

Make an appointment well in advance (but see above re visiting the House of Commons 'on spec').
Know your facts. But don't be afraid of taking notes with you and referring to them.
Rehearse your arguments and answers to opposing arguments in advance.
Take the time to find out about your MP, particularly if he or she has expressed views on this subject before.
It can have more impact to go as part of a group of people (but not too large a number). If so, make sure that you know who will be speaking when (and about what) and that everyone who is going to the meeting shares the same general information and viewpoints.
Prepare notes and background materials.
Be punctual.
Be polite.
Get to the point.
Stick to the point.
Don't try to cover too much. Limit yourself to a few key issues.
Be prepared to leave when your allotted time is up.

A few other simple courtesies can help make the right impression. Never make the mistake of being rude or abrasive because an MP disagrees with you, even if he or she is rude or abrasive to you.

Introduce yourself and anyone with you properly.
Thank your MP for agreeing to meet.
Be scrupulously correct, accurate and honest.
Discuss, don't lecture.
Don't make threats, nor hint at them. MPs are not stupid: they don't need telling when they risk losing the support of their constituents.
Keep any promises.
Respect confidentiality.
Be tolerant of different opinions.
Be positive. Don't criticise other MPs or groups: they may be friends of your MP.

Go into the meeting with an idea of what you want to get out of it:

Be realistic. One MP can't change the law overnight.
Seek specific, achievable commitments. These may include agreement to a follow-up meeting, asking a question in parliament, raising the issue with ministers, local police or others.

After your meeting:

Write to thank your MP for meeting you.
Write a brief report on the meeting, what was said and what action was promised.
Send a copy to your MP.
Distribute any information you have acquired, making sure to respect confidentiality.
Provide your MP with further information as you obtain it.
Keep in touch.

Writing to your MP
If you cannot meet with your MP face to face, you can always write (see above for address). Indeed, you should generally write to your MP as a preliminary to any meeting anyway. These are some usual guidelines:

Only use official letterheaded notepaper if you are writing on behalf of that organisation, not if you are writing as an individual.
Make doubly sure that you have spelt your MP's name and addressed your letter correctly.
It matters less whether a letter is typed or handwritten than that it is clearly written and legible.
Always sign your name - and type or print your name and (if applicable) position under the signature.
Try to pick your moment and be topical. It is better to write when the issue is, or has recently been, in the news in some way.
As with face to face meetings, be brief, get to the point and stick to it.
Be polite. Don't lecture, threaten or insult.
Spell out the subject of your letter straight away.
Explain your reason for writing, with reference to your personal experiences or motivations.
Be constructive. Be realistic.
Ask for a reply from your MP, stating his or her opinions.
Always write using your own words. Don't send standard letters.
And don't underline words, use unnecessary capital letters or different colours of ink for added emphasis. MPs receive many cranky or overstated letters - widely dismissed as 'green ink letters'. If anything, understate your case, no matter how strongly you feel about it.

Resources

ORGANISATIONS

Campaign To End Rape (CER)
Department Five
Pankhurst Centre
Nelson Street
Manchester M13 9WP
E-mail: k.cook@dial.pipex.com
The CER is a feminist campaign established in 1997 to campaign against rape and sexual violence, to challenge myths and to ensure that the criminal justice system deals effectively with men who perpetrate sexual violence. Write to the above address for further information and to get involved.

The Drug Rape Trust
177 South Church Boulevard
Thorpe Bay
Essex SS2 4UT
Tel: 01702 317 695
E-mail: drugrapetrust@hotmail.com
Practical help and advice for victims and parents concerning drug-assisted sexual assault.

Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre (Northern Ireland)
Tel: 0800 052 6813
Offers telephone helpline, one-to-one counselling, and assists people with the practicalities of dealing with rape and sexual abuse. Open to both male and female survivors, the service is free and confidential.

Rape Crisis Federation for England and Wales
7 Mansfield Road
Nottingham NG1 3FB
Tel: 0115 934 8474
Fax: 0115 934 8470
E-mail: rcf@rapecrisis.co.uk
Website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk/
The national organising body and campaigning body for England and Wales. Contact the above to be referred on to your local centre and for information on all forms of sexual abuse.

The Roofie Foundation
6 Park Square
Leeds LS1 2LX
Tel: 0800 783 2980 — open 24 hours
Website: http://www.roofie.com/
'Date rape drugs' (with the street name of 'Roofies', derived from rohypnol) are drugs that are usually available only on prescription for medical problems such as extreme back pain or insomnia, but in the hands of a potential sex abuser they can put every woman in extreme danger. Contact the above number for further information.

Rights of Women
Advice Line: 020 7251 6577 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 2-4pm, 7-9pm and Friday 12 —2pm.
Rights of Women provides a nationwide, confidential specialist legal advice for women. Contact the above number if you would like legal advice for domestic or sexual violence.

Samaritans
Tel: 0345 909090
A nationwide charity that provides a daily, 24-hour confidential service for anyone who is in despair or who feels suicidal.

Scottish Regional Rape Crisis Centres

Aberdeen Rape Crisis
Tel: 01224 620 772

Ayr Rape Crisis Centre
Tel: 01292 611 301

Central Scotland Rape Crisis Centre
Tel: 01786 471 771

Dumfries and Galloway
Tel: 01387 253 113

Women’s Rape and Abuse Centre, Dundee
Tel: 01382 201 291

Strathclyde Rape Crisis Centre
Tel: 0141 331 1990

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre
Tel: 0131 556 9437

Young Women’s Centre, Dundee
Tel: 01382 206 222

Victim Support
Tel: 0845 30 30 900
Confidential helpline for anyone affected by crime, whether or not they have reported it to the police, giving practical help and emotional support about any type of crime. Call the above number to find out where your local Victim Support Scheme is.
Or, check out the website: www.victimsupport.com/

Women Against Rape
Crossroads Women's Centre
230a Kentish Town Road
London NW5 2AB
E-mail: crossroadswomenscentre@compuserve.com
Website: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/crossroadswomenscentre/
Women Against Rape provides support, legal advice, counselling and information, and campaigns for justice, protection and compensation for all survivors of rape, racist sexual assault, sexual assault and domestic violence.

Women’s Aid Federation of England
PO Box 391
Bristol BS99 7WS
Helpline: 0845 7023 468
E-mail: wafe@wafe.co.uk
The key agency in the UK for women and children experiencing physical, sexual or emotional abuse in their homes. Contact the helpline for advice, information and access to refuges.

WEBSITES

Abuse Recovery UK (ARUK)
http://www.aest.org.uk/
Provides interactive support to survivors of childhood sexual abuse and adult survivors of abuse, with related subjects such as date rape, male rape, panic attacks, eating disorders and self harm. Also has sections for partners and parents.

Metropolitan Police Service - Advice for Victims of Sexual Assault
http://www.met.police.uk/rape/advice.htm
Online booklet for victims or people who know victims of sexual assault. It explains what the police and others will do to help you and what will happen.

Survive
http://survive.org.uk/
Comprehensive website put together by a survivor of rape. The site looks at many issues around rape, including the legal process, support networks, organisations and web links. Also provides information on date rape.

Rape And Sexual Abuse Counselling (formerly Winchester Rape Crisis)
http://www.rasac.org.uk/
The Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling service (RASAC) offers a free, confidential listening and support service for women and men who have been raped and/or sexually abused at any time in their lives, or for anyone who wants to talk about the effects of any unwanted sexual encounter. Also features a range of links, useful organisations and books.

PUBLICATIONS

Carnal Knowledge by Sue Lees (Penguin Books, 1997, £7.99)
Sue Lees has spent the last four years conducting three separate pieces of research into rape and sexual assault in Britain. Lees comes to the conclusion that the motivation for rape is not passion but rather sadistic, dominating, aggressive or even murderous intention.

Everyday Violence by Elizabeth Stanko (Rivers Oram Press/Pandora List, 1990, £7.99)
This book explores the ways in which ordinary people deal with both sexual and physical danger in everyday life. Elizabeth Stanko has talked with women and men from a variety of backgrounds and age groups in both Britain and the US. They share with her their experiences, fears about personal danger - from neighbours, strangers and the people with whom they live - and the precautions they take to protect themselves.

It You Could Have Been You by Merlyn Nuttall and Helena Kennedy QC (Virago Press, 1998, £5.99)
The story of how Merlyn Nuttall survived a violent rape and attempted murder in February 1992. It details her fight to recover and gain compensation from the surprisingly resistant forces of officialdom, including the NHS who refused to pay for surgery to Merlyn's neck scars.

I Never Called It Rape: The Ms Report on Recognizing, Fighting, and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape by Robin Warshaw (HarperCollins Publishers, 1994, £8.99)
In clear, readable language, with numerous personal stories, the author touches on the complex issues surrounding the phenomena of 'date rape'.

The Case for Taking the Date Out of Rape by Aileen McColgan (Rivers Oram Press/Pandora List, 1996, £5.99)
When 'date rape' hit Britain with a series of highly publicised cases the media had a field day. Suddenly, thanks to feminism, there was a fine line between consensual sex and rape. The author argues that the term is simply the latest in a long line of strategies to cover up the realities of rape.