This week's winner is Dianne Smith, of Dunedin. She receives a copy of The Red House (Jonathan Cape), by Mark Haddon. The letter about sexual assault was published on Thursday.
Kissing someone by force not acceptable
Regarding the V-J Day image of a sailor kissing a woman, Cathy Young writes (ODT, 19.10.12) we should not consider this an image of sexual assault, because the woman, Greta Friedman, has never called it that, and to do so "trivialises" sexual assault.
Indeed, Friedman has not explicitly named it as "sexual assault", but she has indicated the kiss was not consensual and was the result of some physical force.
The United States Department of Justice defines sexual assault as "any type of sexual contact or behaviour that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient". In legal terms, that kiss was a sexual assault.
Naming it for what it is does not minimise sexual assault; it raises awareness and sends a message that kissing someone by force and without their consent is unacceptable behaviour.
In New Zealand, forcing a kiss on someone else could be considered indecent assault or sexual harassment.
Rape Crisis Dunedin takes all forms of sexual abuse seriously.
Dianne Smith
Rape Crisis Dunedin
