In a new report Amnesty International (AI) said that "Widespread prejudice, government inactivity and deficiencies in the criminal justice system" pose at times "insurmountable obstacles for women to obtain justice or redress."
The organization’s latest report, ‘Hungary: Cries unheard: The failure to protect women from rape and sexual violence in the home’, also questions the culture within Hungary’s police force to deal with the issue of rape.
"…At least 85 per cent of them are whores. They wanted to have sex, but then do not manage to come to an agreement. They are prostitutes, overtly or secretly…," a police officer and advisor on rape issues was quoted as saying.
HUMILIATING EXPERIENCING
In addition, a trial can be a humiliating experiencing. Once in court, "in the presence of their attackers, women have to relive time and again the horror of the sexual attacks they were subjected to and to prove their innocence," AI said in remarks to BosNewsLife.
"They have to challenge public attitudes that it is acceptable for a husband to force his wife to have sex and that it is the woman who provokes rape." Such attitudes even apparently prompted a Hungarian woman judge to tell AI she herself would be "reluctant" to report rape.
Women are reluctant to report rape "because they may fear the abuser, most often the husband or a former partner, will attack her again," AI noted. "A large number of cases fail to reach court or do not result in criminal convictions. Often, police fail to identify the attacker and label the case as a ‘false report’."
In some cases the victim or other witnesses reportedly withdrew their statements or declined to press charges under duress. In 1997, rape within marriage was recognized as a crime within the Hungarian Penal Code. However AI said that the legislation legislation "failure" is its requirement "that women must prove that they physically resisted, no matter the level of threat or violence that they face."
THOUSANDS UNPROTECTED
This stipulation leaves unprotected thousands of women in intimate relationships, AI added. "In the confines of the family, rape is one of the many forms of violence women may suffer — and they may be subjected to it time and again," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Program Director at Amnesty International.
"Rape in intimate relationships is a crime. Stigma and ridicule from the community and lack of confidence in criminal justice system and health services officials must not prevent victims from obtaining justice."
However rape in the family is rarely discussed publicly and victims are rarely heard to speak about the physical and psychological injuries they experience, AI said. A 2006 public opinion revealed that 62 per cent did not know that marital rape was a crime.
"The government must take the lead in lifting the cloak of silence and denial over this human rights violation that has a devastating impact on women’s lives," Nicola Duckworth said. AI urged the Hungarian government to ensure legislative changes that would guarantee access to justice, better train professionals and "actively combat social prejudices through public education."
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