• 💖 [Donate To Keep MyPTSD Online] 💖 Every contribution, no matter how small, fuels our mission and helps us continue to provide peer-to-peer services. Your generosity keeps us independent and available freely to the world. MyPTSD closes if we can't reach our annual goal.

News Brigham Young University Punishes Rape Victims For Being In Violation Of No Premarital Sex Policy

Status
Not open for further replies.

cat-lady

MyPTSD Pro
Did anyone else hear about this? Brigham Young U in Utah is punishing rape victims for being in violation of the honor code that specifies no sex before marriage. As if PTSD is not already enough to deal with! In my experience community response makes a big difference in how bad ptsd is going to be after a trauma like this. FYI there is a petition online.
 
This very much surprises me.

BYU is an entity unto itself, but that goes directly against the teachings of the church.

Victims of abuse should be assured that they are not to blame for the harmful behavior of others. They do not need to feel guilt. If they have been a victim of rape or other sexual abuse, whether they have been abused by an acquaintance, a stranger, or even a family member, victims of sexual abuse are not guilty of sexual sin.

https://www.lds.org/topics/abuse?lang=eng

So, too...there have been (I would say countless, but the church is very good at keeping statistical data) counselings by both the Prophet & Leaders of the Church on the exact same topic. Very nearly every General Conference has something to say on the matter that victims of abuse are not responsible for being abused.

If this is true, I rather suspect someone from the university is about to get their ass chewed by The President of the Church... Not to mention slammed by the collective rage of several thousand wards.
 
Last edited:
Can you link the petition?
Since I'm new here I don't have to ability to include hyperlinks in posts but you can find it by googling or searching around on the general petition website they are using (Care2). If you type brigham young into the search bar on Care2's main page it is the first search result right now.
 
BYU accepts federal student loan money. I don't believe a school can be this restrictive and not go against one federal statute or another given that there are rules governing the disbursement of federal student loan money.

It may be a case for the courts. If so, justice will hopefully prevail and this BS will be taken out of the rule books.

However------the university is most likely going to fall back on the fact that she refused to respond to honor code violation meetings as a reason for what happened (her punishment from the school, can't register, etc.) Her lawyer told her that engaging with this process could jeopardize her formal complaint.

A cop who used to work at the university handed over WILLINGLY, without prompt, the police report, knowing it would get her into trouble.

The university says that it investigates reports because there may be other honor code violations. Yeah, victim blame much, BYU?


PS.

Reflecting on the South Park movie. (You know what I'm talkin bout!) Just gotta laugh. Lol.
 
I hate how in their letter, they acknowledge that one of their students raped her, as their student, and then said "gottcha" on her sex life prior to this, as if it gets them out of any kind of responsibility to act on the crime they are legally responsible to investigate and act upon for her safety and human rights.

Look, rape is a crime, and it should be highly punished. Having sex as a consenting adult may be distasteful or shameful outside marriage to a religious group, but it is not a crime and shouldn't even be mentioned in a letter acknowledging a crime.

Acting like a sadistic hate crime and consensual sex are something alike in their mind in this letter is disturbingly revealing of what religious groups do to distort thinking. It would seem to imply that she invited the attack. Which is even more disturbing.

We have a legal system in place and civil rights groups have fought long and hard to win human rights. And a religion with all its money can wipe this on its butt and say it has its own "code to enforce."

Americans need to put religion in its place when it decides it is above the law, especially when it comes to pharmacies saying they won't dispense birth control because of their religion. It's not a church, people, it's a pharmacy. Do your job.

In this case, if you want University status, then do your due diligence. Do your job.

Surviving a rape is not a "teachable moment."
 
since when is being raped having a sex life? It doesnt matter if she has had sex before this and the university has no business being in her pants. Shaming her for reporting is like they are doing it to her as well. Nobody deserves that.
 
The Washington Post Link. Dead Link Removed

Yep. Seriously f*cked up.

And also, as I'm reading it, the Uni really holds the cards here... Because "victim of violation of honor code" (aka come testify against your rapist, get them kicked out of school) is theoretically in her favor & a get out of jail free card for them... But in threatening that she broke the honor code itself in some aspect of the rape and needs to come testify on her own behalf or be suspended at the least? Completely negates the first half. The whole thing is jacked. I seriously hope they get their leash jerked hard by one or more of the church's leaders.

***

For people not familiar with US Education, or the LDS Church:

Being kicked out of BYU is an especially huge deal because most similar schools cost about 40k-50k per year, while BYU only costs 5k (the LDS church subsidizes)... And the school is also perfectly okay with students taking 2 years off mid degree to go on their missions (which virtually no other university would allow without having to reapply for readmission). So for young LDS people that's not only a savings of over 150k, which makes a good education possible for tens of thousands who could either never afford it -or have to wait 6-8 years until over the age of 24 to get FAFSA funding to start school- but it also allows them to fully participate as members in their church while still attending university.

BYUs honor code is incredibly strict. While the honor code is mentioned briefly in the article to include church standards of the law of chastity & word of wisdom (no coffee, tea, smoking, etc.) here's an example of a small part of the rest of it which goes far beyond actual church-standards to include things like (appearance; sideburn length, knee length shorts, never being barefoot in public; Guests of the opposite sex only allowed in living spaces during certain hours and restricted to certain rooms -like the lobby & kitchen only-, etc.)... And unlike most schools' honor codes? BYUs is enforced. Strongly.

Appearance
Men

A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained. Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, revealing, or form fitting. Shorts must be knee-length or longer. Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extreme styles or colors, and trimmed above the collar, leaving the ear uncovered. Sideburns should not extend below the earlobe or onto the cheek. If worn, moustaches should be neatly trimmed and may not extend beyond or below the corners of the mouth. Men are expected to be clean-shaven; beards are not acceptable. Earrings and other body piercing are not acceptable. Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas.

Women

A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained. Clothing is inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless, backless, or revealing; has slits above the knee; or is form fitting. Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be knee-length or longer. Hairstyles should be clean and neat, avoiding extremes in styles or colors. Excessive ear piercing (more than one per ear) and all other body piercing are not acceptable. Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas.
https://policy.byu.edu/view/index.php?p=26

Going beyond Church standards? Is the rule of thumb at BYU. But going against Church edict? SMH. This is a really, really huge deal.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top