Justice

Woman's Post About What Would Happen If She Stole From Men Makes a Powerful Point About Consent

July 28th 2016

A New Zealand woman's Facebook post that takes subtle digs at victim blaming has sparked an important conversation on the social media platform.

It all started when comedian Alice Brine wrote a humorous post on Facebook this week that she planned on "going home with random very drunk guys" and stealing from them, adding that it won't be her fault because "they were drunk" and "should have known better."

Brine's remarks shed light on the way people sometimes blame victims of sexual assault for what happened to them, rather than their assailants. It has been shared more than 41,000 times and received 96,000 likes.

"I'm gunna start going home with random very drunk guys and stealing all of their shit," she wrote. "Everything they own. It won't be my fault though... they were drunk. They should have known better."

Brine added that she would get away with stealing because most of her victims won't take her to court, alluding to the reality that many sexual assault victims don't report their assaults. She also referenced the fact that some people engage in sexual acts without getting proper consent from the other person:

"I'll get away with it 90 percent of the time but then when one brave man takes me to court over it, I'll argue that I wasn't sure if he meant it when he said 'no don't steal my Audi,'" she wrote. "I just wasn't sure if he meant it. I said 'Can I please steal your Gucci watch?' He said 'no' but I just wasn't sure if he meant it. He was drunk. He brought this on himself."

Finally, she took a dig at how sexual assault victims are often asked what they wore at the time of their assault:

"You should have seen how he was dressed at the club, expensive shirts and shoes. What kind of message is he sending with that!? I thought he wanted me to come and steal all of his shit. He was asking for it. When he said 'no' to me taking everything he owned I just didn't know if he meant it. 'No' isn't objective enough, it could mean anything."

Her post has received immense positive feedback on Facebook:

FacebookFacebook - facebook.com

Not everyone loves her Facebook post, however. She reportedly received at least one rape threat for talking about sexual assault on Facebook:

[H/T BuzzFeed]

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