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Chrissie Hynde has caused controversy by suggesting, during a personal anecdote describing her own sexual assault, that female rape victims "have to take responsibility" for what happens to them.
The former Pretenders singer was speaking to the Sunday Times magazine when she made the remarks. After detailing a traumatic incident during which an Ohio gang member promised to take her to a party but took her to an empty house instead, she said, "Technically speaking, however you want to look at it, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility. "
She added, "You can’t fuck about with people, especially people who wear ‘I Heart Rape’ and ‘On Your Knees’ badges ... those motorcycle gangs, that’s what they do. You can’t paint yourself into a corner and then say whose brush is this? You have to take responsibility. I mean, I was naive."
As the interview progressed, Hynde made several further misinformed and damaging comments regarding rape victims: "If I’m walking around and I’m very modestly dressed and I’m keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I’d say that’s his fault. But if I’m being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who’s already unhinged – don’t do that.
"Come on! That’s just common sense. You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him. If you’re wearing something that says ‘Come and fuck me’, you’d better be good on your feet ... I don’t think I’m saying anything controversial am I?"
Responding to Hynde's comments, Lucy Hastings, the director of the charity Victim Support, said, "Victims of sexual violence should never feel or be made to feel that they were responsible for the appalling crime they suffered – regardless of circumstances or factors which may have made them particularly vulnerable."
