PSNI: Officers trained up on response to rape and sex crimes

Jan Winton, Nexus early intervention and prevention manager, developed and led the police programme.

She said it was a myth that a victim would be very distressed after an assault.

“Trauma can present in so many unpredictable ways, because of how the brain is trying to process what happened,” she said.

“You may have somebody who seemingly gets on with life, seems unaffected, they could actually be just trying to cope or to completely block it out.”

Other rape myths discussed include ideas that a victim cannot be raped or sexually assaulted if they changed their mind mid-act and withdrew consent; that a victim is somehow to blame if they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs or it happened because of what they were wearing, or because there was flirting.

One police officer said “you can never have enough training” when it comes to dealing with rape and sexual assault victims.

She said: “You have to keep an open mind to every case, not go in with any prejudice and accept that somebody’s response isn’t what you think you would do in that situation.”

One officer said he had not previously considered that rape myths would also be held by victims themselves and that acted as a barrier to reporting.

Officers trained over the last year will provide training for the new cohorts of officers coming down the line.