Did Chief Ramsay really suggest many rapes are ‘preventable by using good judgment’?

Editor’s note: Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay posted an apology on his Facebook page Wednesday. The text of his response is noted below.

Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay presented some alarming statistics to city leaders Tuesday.

Among them: More adults and teens were forcibly raped in 2019 than the previous year.

But the chief’s attempt to explain the trend was even more shocking and offensive.

Ramsay suggested that women who use online dating apps — or women who just meet anyone they don’t know, anytime and anywhere outside their own homes — are at least partially at fault if they’re assaulted.

“Too often we have women that are meeting men that they do not know, going to their homes or meeting them out, and the result is a sexual assault,” Ramsay said.

“We have been trying to educate the public on the connection between the social media platforms, the hook-up platforms, that are driving these numbers so that people know that these are dangerous and that their safety is important to us, and that in many of these cases they are preventable by using good judgment.”

Preventable by using good judgment?

That’s classic victim blaming, and it’s coming from the person in charge of the largest police force in the state.

Is it any wonder that three out of four sexual assaults are never reported?

Ramsay’s comments imply that “hook-up platforms” such as Tinder, Bumble or eHarmony and the women — but not the men — who use them are the problem. That’s the same attitude that suggests a sexual assault victim “asked for it” if she wears a short skirt, or acts flirty, or drinks too much, or stays out late.

Of course, anyone can minimize their chances of harm by being cautious. But we have to understand and acknowledge that rapes don’t hinge on a survivor’s behavior.

It’s important that law enforcement officials acknowledge, as Ramsay did Tuesday, that the majority of sexual assaults are committed by people known to the victim. But it’s also important that police respect and support victims and go after perpetrators, regardless of the circumstances around an alleged crime.

The misguided sentiment that a woman’s actions can lead to rape has a silencing effect on victims, many of whom choose not to report assaults because they feel guilty or that they won’t be believed.

Drinking or drug use don’t cause rape. Clothing or makeup don’t cause rape. Finding someone through a dating app and agreeing to meet them doesn’t cause rape.

You know what causes rape? Rapists.

Instead of blaming women for leaving their homes to date, the police chief could have suggested increasing efforts to teach people about consensual sex. That — and bringing rapists to justice — is where our focus should be.

Update, 4 p.m. Feb. 26: Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay posted an apology on his Facebook page Wednesday for comments he made during a presentation to city leaders.

“I read a news editorial this morning covering my presentation to the City Council yesterday. I regret my statement did not adequately reflect my true stance regarding sexual assault victims and apologize for my word choice. Let me be clear: Survivors are never responsible for sexual assault and battery.

“My focus will always be helping survivors of these heinous crimes and champion proactive programs to address sexual assault and domestic violence. I appreciate any critiques that make me a better advocate and ally.”

This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 4:47 AM.