JAYA: With disturbing records of a rape taking place every 35 minutes in Malaysia, the All Women Action Society (Awam) has launched an anti-rape website to aid victims and survivors of sexual violence.Called www.antirogol.com, with a tagline of "Victims are not to be blamed", the women's organisation aims to create greater awareness not to blame rape victims. It also displays emergency numbers and dos and don'ts after a rape.

Damansara Utama Assemblywoman Yeo Bee Yin said about 3,000 rape cases, with 60pc involving youths aged below 16, were reported yearly. However, studies show only two out of 10 cases are brought to the attention of the authorities.

"With so many rape cases reported, there is still no website to assist victims after a rape," she said at a press conference at the Awam office here.

She revealed that society still blamed the victims for any rape incident.

"When a rape takes places, the first thing people ask is: what was she wearing, was she drunk and whether she is 'the loose type'." Some believed it only happened to the "unlucky few". However, Yeo reminded that anyone could be a target of rape, regardless of age or race.

She hoped with Awam's several awareness campaigns lined up to dispel the notion that it was the victims' fault, parents and society will teach their sons to respect women. Yeo also advised rape victims not to wash themselves after a rape, call a trusted person for support and head to a hospital. "The police will come to the hospital if a hospital treats a rape victim."

She said a lot of rape victims tend to have a shower after a rape incident and this has caused a lot of rapists not to be charged due to lack of seminal fluid evidence.