STOP RAPE: PROTECT FUTURE VICTIMS, STRENGTHEN JUSTICE AND DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

I am a rape survivor. When I was just 14 years old, something happened to me that no person should ever have to experience. The man responsible received a four-year sentence. What happened to me has stayed with me, and it has made me question whether enough is being done to protect people from sexual violence and prevent further victims.

This petition is not just about protecting children. It is about protecting everyone — women, men, girls, boys and people of every gender — from rape and sexual violence. It is about the people who have already suffered, the people who are suffering in silence, and the people who could become the next victims if meaningful action is not taken.

I am also an older sister. I never want my little sister, or anyone else’s family member, to experience what I experienced. But I know that sexual violence is not limited to children, and the responsibility to prevent it does not end when a child grows up. No one should have to live in fear of being raped, and no survivor should be left feeling that the punishment did not reflect the harm done to them.

WHAT I AM CALLING FOR

1. Stronger and proportionate sentencing

Governments must review sentencing for rape and serious sexual offences to ensure penalties reflect the seriousness of the offence, the harm caused, and the assessed risk of further offending. Sentencing must be consistent, transparent and subject to proper judicial safeguards.

2. A serious review of chemical and surgical castration

I am calling for an independent, evidence-based review of chemical castration, surgical castration and other possible penalties for people convicted of serious sexual offences. This review should examine whether these measures reduce reoffending, their limitations and risks, the question of consent, human rights, medical ethics and the safeguards required by law.

This issue should not be dismissed without examination, but neither should any measure be introduced without reliable evidence that it achieves its intended purpose. Public protection must be the priority.

3. Effective management of convicted offenders

People convicted of rape and serious sexual offences should receive appropriate risk assessments, specialist interventions where evidence supports them, and risk-based monitoring and supervision after release. Where someone presents an ongoing serious risk, authorities must have lawful and effective ways to manage that risk and protect the public.

4. Equal accountability, regardless of sex or gender

Sexual violence must be taken seriously regardless of who commits it. Male, female and non-binary victims deserve equal access to justice and support. Male, female and non-binary perpetrators must be investigated and held accountable under fair laws that apply consistently. No offender should be excused, and no victim should be dismissed, because of their sex or gender.

5. Prevention before another person is harmed

Governments must invest in consent education, public awareness, early intervention, effective investigations and measures that address the causes and circumstances of sexual violence. Action must not begin only after another person has been assaulted. Preventing the next offence must be a central objective.

6. Justice and long-term support for survivors

Survivors must have access to specialist services, medical and psychological support, and a justice system that treats them with dignity. Reporting rape should not mean being disbelieved, blamed, intimidated or abandoned. Survivors should not have to fight alone to be heard.

WHY I AM SPEAKING OUT

I cannot change what happened to me. I cannot take away the trauma or reclaim the years in which I have had to live with it. But I can speak up and demand that governments do more to prevent other people from experiencing the same harm.

This is not about revenge against a particular person. It is about public safety, accountability, prevention and justice. It is about asking whether current systems are doing everything reasonably possible to stop repeat offending, protect potential victims and support those who have already been harmed.

I want this petition to reach beyond one country. I am calling on governments around the world to review their laws, publish evidence about what works, strengthen protections and take sexual violence seriously regardless of the victim’s or perpetrator’s sex or gender.

No punishment alone can guarantee that rape will end. But that is not an excuse for inaction. Governments must use evidence, effective law enforcement, appropriate penalties and proper offender management to reduce the risk of further harm.

The next victim should not have to become another statistic before action is taken.

I am asking people worldwide to stand with survivors and demand meaningful change. Sign this petition to call for stronger prevention, fair and effective accountability, a serious review of penalties including chemical and surgical castration, and better protection for everyone at risk of sexual violence.

Not just for children. Not just for women. Not just for men. For every survivor, every potential victim and every person who deserves to live free from sexual violence.