Chrissie Hynde, of influential New Wave band The Pretenders, is under fire from rape support groups in the UK following some comments she made during a recent interview.
The lead singer of The Pretenders, who was raped when she was 21 years old by a biker gang in Ohio, said that "if you don't want to entice a rapist, don't wear high heels so you can't run from him."
Hynde went on, explaining that "...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."
The singer-songwriter recently published her memoirs, Reckless, in which she described being forced to perform oral sex on a biker gang whom she travelled with. Hynde, who was a heavy drug user at the time, said that she takes "full responsibility" for being assaulted by them. "If you play with fire, you get burnt. It's not any secret, is it?"
Hynde's comments have drawn huge uproar both online and from rape victims' support groups. Lucy Hastings, of UK charity Victim Support, released a statement slamming her views. ""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."
Hynde has yet to respond to the interview or the criticism of her views.
Via Sunday Times
