Sobering Photo Series Reveals The Reasons Women Are Often Blamed For Being Raped

Disgusted by Brock Turner’s lenient sentence, this activist photographed a powerful series which exposes some of the reasons women are blamed for being sexually assaulted.

What would you do if, the morning after a party, you found yourself in a compromised position, lying next to a naked, passed out individual? At first, you might check your immediate surroundings. Then, you’d likely check your body.

Would you freak if you, too, were naked, and maybe even a bit sore? Most people would. Unfortunately, the likelihood of getting raped as a female in the U.S. is atrocious – 1 in 5, to be exact, as is the statistical probability that the assault will be reported.

Only 46% of rape cases get reported, and even then, fighting for a prosecution can be a trying, exhausting, and emotional ordeal. This was made evident in the recent Brock Turner rape case, in which a former Stanford swimmer raped a woman behind a dumpster and received a laughable sentence.

Understandably, the majority of the populace was outraged with the lenient reprimand. One specific activist who was appalled by the Turner case is Yana Mazurkevich.

Presently based in the United States, she told The Daily Mail that she was inspired to shoot a series that draws attention to the many reasons women are blamed for being raped. She felt compelled to do so after reading victim’s letter to Brock Turner.

The sobering images below show women holding up statements that echo the kinds of voices victims of sexual assault often hear, usually said in an attempt to diminish their experience.