Rape victim discusses the treatment of the subject on TV

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Stealthing – or non-consensual condom removal – is rape under UK law but there has only been one widely known successful prosecution of it in Britain.

Zahra Awaiz-Bilal, senior associate at law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, said: “Stealthing is a self-serving, surreptitious act performed without the consent of one of the parties. 

“Not only does it show utter disregard for a person’s right to choose but it can also have a devastating impact on their physical and mental health by placing them at great risk of sexually transmitted siseases and unwanted pregnancies.

“Victims of stealthing may not realise or may find it hard to accept that a crime has been committed against them, and this is reflected in the hugely under-reported cases of stealthing. But this does not alter the fact that it is a criminal offence and should be reported to the police.

“It is likely to be far more common than we know but the true scale of it will remain unknown until we ensure that victims feel encouraged to come forward without fear of being judged or disbelieved.”

Campaigners have said stealthing is something it is increasingly hearing about.

Five in six women and four in five men who experience any form of rape, assault by penetration or attempts of either do not report what happened to them to the police, official statistics showed.

Four in 10 survivors of rape described feeling “embarrassment” as a reason for not reporting to the police, while 38 per cent said they did not think the police could help.

Amelia Handy, policy lead at Rape Crisis England and Wales, said there is a lack of understanding about stealthing.

She said: “When looking at specific barriers to reporting so-called “stealthing”, we know that there is a widespread lack of understanding about what stealthing really is: rape. And a widespread lack of understanding about what consent really means too.

“It’s really important to remember that consent isn’t a free pass to do anything sexual to another person that you want. Consent stops the moment that someone decides they want to withdraw it.

“And it also stops the moment that circumstances change and sexual activity is no longer in line with what everyone taking part has consented to. 

“This change in circumstances can be related to lots of different things, including: location, the person or people involved, the type of sexual activity and, as in the case of so-called ‘stealthing’, the use of contraception or protection.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, contact Rape Crisis 0808 802 9999 or visit www.rapecrisis.org.uk

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