In 2022, a woman walked into a police station and reported that she was raped. Although her name was publicly known while she begged the justice system to investigate her case, the man’s name was kept secret under a gag order. Her name was out there for everyone to know, but not his. A few weeks ago, another woman came forward with detailed accusations against the same man, even before we, the public, were allowed to know his name. Two named women facing public scrutiny for having shared that they were raped. But the accused rapist had his name protected. For years. 

The gag order protecting the accused rapist was finally lifted and now we know that the man, Yuval Wilner, is the man who has been accused by Shai-Lee Atary and Naama Shachar of rape. 

And then Raviv Drucker arrived. Drucker, a well-known investigative reporter for Channel 13 and host of the program Hamakor, decided to give Wilner an interview.  He decided that it’s not enough for us to hear from victims of rape. We need to also hear what the alleged rapist has to say. Give him a chance to – to what? Clear his name? Tell us that he’s great guy? Say that the women misunderstood? That he thought they were having a good time?

This decision is so unbearably outrageous that it should not need an explanation for us to understand why suspected rapists do not deserve prime time. 

There are no “both sides of a story” in rape

There is no other crime in the world that makes this outrageous demand on its victims. Victims of burglary, identity theft, fraud, shoplifting, carjacking, or attempted murder, for example, are not treated as suspects, as someone who is lying. Nobody says, “But what if he invented the burglary?” every time someone reports a break-in. Nobody asks if there is “another side to the story”. Nobody treats criminals like “nice guys” who just misunderstood. Nobody suggests that victims of muggings deserved it or asked for it. Criminals are not routinely doubted, assumed to be “victims” of a “witch hunt”, labeled as “good guys” or “musicians” or whatever. 

Only rape victims are treated like suspects.  

“Only in rape do victims of crime have to be subjected to ‘the other side of the story,” says Attorney Gali Zinger of the Israel Women’s Network. “Only rape victims are automatically doubted. Only in rape are victims routinely accused of asking for it, enjoying it, of deserving........

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