Rapists are posting sickening trophy videos of attacks online, charity warns



Up to 100 cases reported in the last 12 months

Victims' charity urges David Cameron to change law loophole that permits porn 'depicting rape'

Campaigner says such porn 'glorifies' sexual assault and was used by murderers Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell





Rape victims whose horrific ordeals were filmed by their attackers are 'terrified' the footage may be posted online, after a reported surge in such crimes.

Rape Crisis, which supports victims of sexual assault, said in the last 12 months between 50 and 100 women reported that the attacker not only filmed the rape but said it would be posted online for others to see.

The abhorrent claims add weight to the charity's campaign to urge the government to urgently close a loophole in the extreme pornography legislation which permits the possession of pornography depicting rape in England and Wales.

Terrified: Rape victims whose horrific ordeals were filmed by their attackers may find the footage posted online, after a reported surge in such crimes

Recent research found that, of the top 50 accessible ‘rape porn’ sites found through a Google search, 78 per cent advertise content depicting simulated rape of under 18-year-olds, for example 'schoolgirl rape'.

Of the top ten Google search results for ‘free porn’ half the websites host free rape pornography. Sites include terms like ‘brutal rape’, ‘real rape’ and ‘savage rape’ in their web addresses.

Further research by the Sunday Times found that blogging websites were another source where rape pornography was being posted.

Speaking to the Sunday paper, Rosa Knight, national helpline coordinator at Rape Crisis South London, said: ' Women often talk about their experiences being filmed but it is only recently that they're being told that the films will be disseminated.'

She said victims are now 'terrified' they will be recognised online in the videos and friends and family will find out.

In a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, signed by 100 supporters - including Deputy Children’s Commissioner Sue Berelowitz - the charity points out that two recently convicted rapists and murderers - Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell - used violent and misogynistic pornography as part of their murders of young girls.

Recent research found that, of the top 50 accessible 'rape porn' sites found through a Google search, 78 per cent advertise content depicting simulated rape of under 18-year-olds

It also draws attention to the fact that the possession of rape pornography is already criminalised in Scotland where law-makers took its harm into account when legislating.

Research conducted by the charity's South London branch into freely available online ‘rape porn’ found descriptions including ‘young schoolgirls abducted and cruelly raped. Hear her screams’; ‘little schoolgirl raped by teacher’; ‘tiny girl sleep rape’; and ‘girl raped at gunpoint’.



The charity wants legislature to change to prevent the legal possession of such pornography.

David Cameron, however, has put the onus on Internet companies such as Google to regulate what content they make available.

He has called on companies to do more to root out such 'disgusting images' and will meet with industry on June 17 to discuss a way forward to clean up the web.

Rape Crisis campaigner Fiona Elvines, who has conducted research into what is currently available online legally in England and Wales, said allowing simulated rape online 'glorifies' sexual violence.

She said the 2008 legislation on extreme pornography was brought in to address the way the internet had changed the distinctions between 'publishing, distributing and possessing some kinds of pornography'.

She said the law was intended to protect the public from harm by criminalising the possession of pornography which depicts life-threatening injury, serious injury to anus/breasts/genitals, bestiality or necrophilia.

'It is a serious omission not to have included images depicting rape and other non-consensual acts as they did in Scotland,' Elvines said.

'This is not about making a distinction between real and simulated rape and child sexual abuse, with the latter being perfectly lawful to possess as long as it is "fantasy" and actors are over 18.

'Permitting the possession of depictions of sexual violence as entertainment glorifies, trivialises and normalises such abuse – at a time when government statistics estimate that 85,000 women and girls are raped each year.'

The letter to the Prime Minister also cites a recent report of the Children’s Commissioner on young people’s, especially boys’, exposure to pornography and its links to harmful attitudes and behaviours.

Porn searches: : Of the top ten Google search results for 'free porn' half the websites host free rape pornography. Sites include terms like 'brutal rape', 'real rape' and 'savage rape' in their web addresses

Rape Crisis urges David Cameron to consider reform in order that other Government work on tackling violence against women and girls is not undermined.

Professor Clare McGlynn of Durham University, an expert in this area of law, told the charity: 'The extreme pornography legislation is in urgent need of reform. The current law excludes the vast majority of pornographic images of rape.

'This is not a simplistic argument about rape pornography causing rape. It is undeniable that the proliferation and tolerance of such images and the messages they convey contributes to a cultural climate where sexual violence is condoned.