Resisting Rape Myths and Doing Feminism in Legal Processes of Rape Cases

Abstract

In this article, we draw on insights on contemporary feminist activism and explore practices of challenging previously dominating notions of rape in legal processes. We have analyzed interviews and recorded interrogations from ten rape cases, using thematic qualitative analysis. The results are presented in four sections representing the main themes identified through the analysis: lacking faith in the legal system, coproducing feminism through support, reporting the rape as a feminist act, and doing resistance in court. The analysis shows that both in the interviews with the complainants and in the court hearings, a feminist discourse centering around a critique of previously hegemonic notions about rape, as well as expressions of a feminist solidarity, was evident. We suggest that acts of everyday feminism are crucial for this kind of feminist discourse to come about in legal processes related to rape.

Keywords

rape; plaintiff; court; feminism; legal process; victim

Published in

Social Politics
2025
Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Gröndal, Hedvig

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Öckinger, Valentin

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Sociology (excluding Social work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Political Science (Excluding Peace and Conflict Studies)
Gender Studies

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxaf016

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/141510