Kath, who lives and works on sexual assault issues in South Africa, wonders if her story of rape is “worth telling”, because to her it seems so normal, so every day. A friend of her boyfriend’s raped her years ago while they travelled overseas. Kath realises that the tragedy of what happened to her is the tragedy of rape and abuse in general: that so often we accept it simply because it occurs over and over again.
Note: This story contains explicit content and is recommended for mature viewers age 14 and up.
Key points to consider in viewing Kath’s story
Mainstream media typically report only the most horrific stories of rape and gender-based violence, which suggests that these forms of abuse are somehow “out of the ordinary.” By contrast, Kath addresses the disturbing ordinariness of sexual assault as she shares her own experience of having been raped by a friend years ago. As you watch it, challenge your own potential tendency to minimise the seriousness of violence, even when it happens to or is perpetrated by someone close to you.
