The true story of a 15th-Century sexual assault survivor's quest for justice

[Mad Swede]

The following article on the BBC News website is very interesting and should be read by any author writing a story set in a western medieval type of setting. The reason I write that is becaue there is a tendency among many commentators to assume that womens rights are somehow modern, and that things were different in medieval times. Whilst it is true that women did not enjoy as many rights or privileges as men in some countries it is not true that all women were oppressed.

'Medieval women could make accusations': The true story of a 15th-Century sexual assault survivor's quest for justice

And for those wondering where to find the book referred to in the article:

Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor

 

[CupofJoe]

That is quite a read!

 

[pmmg]

I'd need a BBC subscription to read it, which...I am not interested in.

But...I would assume a lot of stuff occurred all at the same time in any given place, and any given time period, including rape and including justice.

 

[Mad Swede]

I'd need a BBC subscription to read it, which...I am not interested in.

No, it's on the internet. Just click on the link.

 

[JLiana]

There's something powerful in knowing that it wasn't totally hopeless for women back then. Kind of make me teary-eyed as a survivor. Thanks for sharing!

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I know a lot of this from having the better part of a Gender Studies minor under my belt, and I still think it's remarkable. Today it's enough of a challenge just to report. Then as now, it takes a lot of courage. Fortunately, survivors have courage to spare.

 

[Prince of Spires]

It's interesting how so much of our ideas about the Middle Ages are shaped by "bad" historians in the 1800's and early 1900's projecting their visions of what the middle ages should be onto them or by a single local example being applied to the whole middle ages and the whole of europe.

Thanks for sharing. It's an interesting read. Both because it gives a different perspective on how assault victims were treated, but also because of the glimpse it offers into local politics between the local community and the duke and the complex web of rules surrounding them.