Raise Your Voice is an awareness programme that focused on sexual assault and domestic violence in the digital platform as well through face to face interaction. This is exclusively powered by Leo Club of Colombo Knights. This presentation was created for the Phase 01 of the programme and it was decided to be uploaded on the digital platform, Slideshare in order to reach more than 70 Million people across the world. The prersentation focuses on sexual assault, what consent is, the stipulated laws and prevention and aftermath help. Courtesy : http://www.actnowsrilanka.org/

1. Let’s Talk About Sexual
Assault
Raise your voice – Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Awareness Programme
Powered by Leo Club of Colombo Knights

2. What is Sexual Assault?
The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without
explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:
• Attempted rape
• Fondling or unwanted sexual touching
• Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetrating the
perpetrator’s body
• Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape

3. Sexual assault can include :-
• Any type of sexual contact with someone who cannot consent, such as someone,
 Who is underage
 Has an intellectual disability
 Is passed out
 Unable to respond.
• Rape
• Attempted rape
• Sexual Coercion
• Sexual contact with a child
• Fondling or unwanted touching above or under clothes

4. Sexual assault can also be verbal, visual, or non-contact. It is anything that forces
a person to join in unwanted sexual activities or attention. Other examples can
include:4
 Voyeurism, or peeping
 Exhibitionism
 Sexual harassment or threats
 Forcing someone to pose for sexual
pictures
 Sending someone unwanted texts or
“sexts”

5. Consent is a clear “yes” to sexual activity.
Not saying “no” does not mean you have given consent.
Sexual contact without consent is sexual assault or rape.
Your consent means:
 You know and understand what is going on
 You know what you want to do.
 You are able to say what you want to do or don’t want to do.
 You are aware that you are giving consent.
What does “consent” mean?

6. • Consent is an ongoing process.
• Past consent does not mean future consent.
• Saying “yes” to a sexual activity is not consent
for all types of sexual activity.

7. What is NOT considered consent in Sexual Activity?
 Silence
 Having consented before.
 Being in a relationship.
 Being drunk or high.
 Not fighting back.
 Sexy clothing, dancing, or flirting.

8. Who commits Sexual Assault?
• Sexual assault is most often committed by someone the victim knows. This may
be a friend, an acquaintance, an ex, a relative, a date, or a partner.
• Less often, a stranger commits sexual assault.

9. What are the long term effects of Sexual Assault?
 Headaches
 Long-term pain
 Trouble sleeping
 Poor physical and mental health
 Asthma
 Irritable bowel syndrome
 Abuse of alcohol or drugs
 Depression
 Eating disorders
 Sexually transmitted infections
 Pregnancy
 Self-injury or suicide

10. Rape

11. • Rape is forced, unwelcome sexual intercourse.
• It is a grave and inhumane act perpetrated against women & girls, which can
have serious physical, psychological, emotional and economic repercussions.
• The experience is devastating not only because of the level of violence to
her body, integrity, personal security and her self-esteem and dignity but also
the social stigma that surrounds the experience.
What is rape?

12. What constitutes rape?
 A man who has sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent is guilty of rape.
 Evidence of resistance such as physical injuries to the body is not essential to prove that
intercourse took place without consent.
 Vaginal penetration is the only requirement to establish sexual intercourse.
 In Sri Lanka, a man is guilty of rape where sexual intercourse with his wife only if she is judicially
separated from him.
 Where a man engages with a female under the age of 16 years (statuary rape).

13. What should a victim of rape should NOT do?
 Clean the body before a Medical examination at a hospital.
 Remove clothes that were worn at the time of the incident before going to
the hospital and police station.
 Isolate herself
 Refuse help from family, friends and professionals.

14. What should a victim of rape should DO?
 Confide in a close and trustworthy friend or family member. Ask them to accompany you to the hospital; &
police station.
 Obtain a medical report from the hospital within 24 hours either from a doctor or the judicial medical officer
(JMO)
 Lodge a complaint at the nearest police station.
 Check to see if the details recorded in the entry are accurate.
 If the entry is in a language that you do not understand. Ask for translation before signing.
 Ask for a copy of the complaint or entry and the name of the officer who took down the complaint.
 Seek Counselling and professional psychological assistance.
 Record all details of the incident on a notebook.
 If you are not sure what happened constitutes rape, always clear the matter immediately by any
organization working on GBV to seek advice o how to proceed.

15. What is the punishment for rape?
• Rigorous imprisonment of at least seven (7) years
which may extend to a maximum of twenty(20)
years with a fine.
• The perpetrator will be ordered to pay
compensation of an amount determined by the
court to the victim-survivor for the injuries
caused.
• Failure to pay compensation as ordered by the
court will result in an extension of the term of
imprisonment by a maximum of 2 years.

16. In the following instances the maximum punishment for rape would be rigorous
imprisonment for not less than ten (10) years.
• Where a public offender or a person in a position of authority takes advantage of his official position
and commits rape on a woman in his official custody or wrongfully restrains and commits rape on a
woman.
• Where a member of the management or the staff of a remand home or other place of custody
established by or under the law or of a women’s children’s institution takes advantage of his position
and commits rape on any woman inmate.
• Where a person on the management or staff of a hospital takes advantage of his position and commits
rape on a woman in that woman.
• Where a man commits rape on a woman he knows to be pregnant.
• Where he commits rape on a woman who is under the eighteen years of age.
• Where a man commits rape on a woman who is physically or mentally disabled.
• Where gang rape occurs.

17. The minimum punishment for rape will be rigorous imprisonment of not less than 15 years
where the rape victim is less than 16 years of age and is the perpetrator’s,
• Daughter/granddaughter
• Adoptive daughter/adoptive granddaughter
• Sister/half sister/adoptive sister
• Niece/half niece/adoptive niece
• Step daughter/step granddaughter

18. Grave Sexual Abuse

19. What is Grave Sexual Abuse?
• Grave sexual abuse includes all sexual acts defined by the offence of grave sexual abuse in Sri
Lanka and not covered by the offence of rape.
• Grave sexual abuse also includes instances where sexual gratification is not only through the
use of genitals or parts of the human body but also through any instrument and also on any
orifice or part of the body of another person.
It includes non consensual,
Oral sex
Manual stimulation
Sadomasochistic conduct using instruments

20. Adults
• Grave sexual abuse is a criminal offence under the section 365B of the Penal
code (amendment), ACT No. 22 of 1995 and includes all Sexual Acts without
the consent that do not come within the definition of rape.
• This includes instances where sexual act is not only through the use of genitals
or parts of the human body but through an instrument and also on any orifice
part of the body of another person.

21. Children
• If the victim- survivor is under the age of 16 years, it is assumed that the
sexual act is done without consent of the victim –survivor.

22. What is the Punishment for Grave Sexual Abuse?
• The maximum punishment stated in the penal code is rigorous
imprisonment for not less than 5 years, which may last till 20 years
with a fine.
• If the victim is below 18, rigorous imprisonment not less than 7 years
and not exceeding 20 years. There will be a compensation as well.

23. Precautions
• Ensure that you go for events especially parties with people you trust.
• When you go out to party, musical show or public event with a group of friends, arrive together and watch
out for each other and leave together.
• Do not leave your beverages unattended or accept a drink from a stranger on an open counter.
• If you go out with someone you do not know very well, inform a close friend about your plans and where
you hope to go out for the evening.
• Always have extra money to get home
• Have a plan for someone you can call if you need help.
• Do not allow yourself to be isolated with a person you do not know or trust.
• It is recommended that you walk only in lighted areas after dark.
• If you are driving or going with friends into a private vehicle ensure that doors are locked from the time
you get until you reach your destination.
• Be alert when travelling by cab (cars, vans) or tuk tuks.
• Try to always have directions
• Have emergency numbers such as family, friends and police hotline 119 on speed dial.

24. Statistics collected by CARE's
Research: Why Masculinities
Matter

28. Motivations for Sexual Assault

32. Why do men inflict violence
against men & women?

33. • To Maintain dominance over women
and other men.
• Sexual entitlement
• Childhood trauma

35. Gender Based Violence
in Men

36. • Homosexuality is criminalized under Section 365A if the Penal code Act
of No. 22 of 1995 so it is often subjected to blackmail and stigmatization
and family related honor.
• They are often humiliated and arrested themselves.
• The victims of male on male violence therefore are a very challenging
situation, neither protected from the law. It is likely to go underreported.

37. Let’s talk about Myths &
Facts about Rape

38. Rape is about sexual gratification

39. MYTH

40. Sex crimes, including sexual harassment
and frottage, are crimes of passion or
desire.

41. MYTH

42. Men can be sexually assaulted

43. FACT

44. Rapes are rarely reported to the police

45. FACT

46. The way a woman is dressed or the fact
that she is drunk is often why she is
raped.

47. MYTH

48. Sexual offenders are many times
known by the victim

49. FACT

50. When a woman says “no”
she really means “maybe” or “yes”

51. MYTH

52. Spouses cannot sexually assault each other

53. MYTH

54. Ugly, old or disabled people are
never sexually assaulted.

55. MYTH

56. The culture of violence that we live in
contributes to sexual violence

57. FACT

58. Men can’t help themselves.
Once they are sexually aroused, they
cannot stop

59. MYTH

60. If a person willingly goes to someone’s room or
house or goes to a bar, she/he assumes the risk
of sexual assault. The perpetrator can’t be
blamed for anything that happens.

61. MYTH

62. Only gay men are raped, and they are only
raped by other gay men.

63. MYTH

64. Weapons, including guns, knives and
fists, are often used to intimidate sexual
assault victims.

65. MYTH

66. What can WE do to prevent sexual
assault?

67. The key to keeping your friends safe is learning how to intervene in a way that fits the situation and your
comfort level. Having this knowledge on hand can give you the confidence to step in when something
isn’t right. Stepping in can make all the difference, but it should never put your own safety at risk.
• Create a distraction
Do what you can to interrupt the situation. A distraction can give the person at risk a chance to get to a
safe place.
• Ask directly
Talk directly to the person who might be in trouble.
• Refer to an authority
Sometimes the safest way to intervene is to refer to a neutral party with the authority to change the
situation.
• Enlist others
It can be intimidating to approach a situation alone. Enlist another person to support you.
Ask someone to come with you to approach the person at risk. When it comes to expressing concern,
sometimes there is power in numbers.

68. Your actions matter
Whether or not you were able to change the outcome, by stepping in you are helping to change the way
people think about their role in preventing sexual assault. If you suspect that someone you know has
been sexually assaulted, there are steps you can take to support that person and show you care.