A mother who gave birth to a boy after being raped has praised a change in the law that recognises victims of sexual assault as their offspring. At the age of 21, Jessica—not her real name—was sexually assaulted by a man who had formerly been her friend. After 27 years, her son will soon also be recognised as a rape victim.
According to government proposals, children born as a result of rape will be formally recognised as victims of crime. The changes will be made to the upcoming Victims Bill, which the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) stated would make England and Wales among the first nations in the world to expand the legal definition of a victim to include people born from rape.
The modifications will make it clear that children born as a result of rape have the right to information about their cases and support from the courts, police, and other criminal justice system entities—something that is currently "unnecessarily difficult" to achieve due to a lack of clear direction.
Wales Law Recognises Rape Survivors' Kids As Victims
The mother claimed that after being admitted to the hospital with her newborn and post-natal depression, her condition only became worse. She made the decision not to reveal how he was born as he grew older. She feared he would hate her. When her son turned 16, his grandmother sat him down and explained that he was the result of a rape, even though she was frightened of shattering his heart.
The mother continued that he'd always hoped that one day he'd meet his dad, but it truly devastated him. She said, he didn't want to come home, and he didn't want to be with me for about a week or so.
Jessica's relationship with her son gradually improved, and she now refers to him as her "best mate". She attributes the process' facilitation to charitable backing. With time, their relationship grew considerably stronger. Together, they found his father once he made the decision that he wanted to do so. The father, however, had already passed away and had never been found guilty of rape.
Despite the traumatic experience for Jessica, she wanted to assist her son in his quest for the truth. She praised the law's change and advocated for more child support.
Featured image credit: BBC
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