There is a general stigma in Malaysian society that 'boys can’t be raped and boys don’t cry', says Inberaj. — FFN
IT IS not easy for any victim of sexual assault to speak up about their traumatic experiences.
This is especially true for male survivors, who are often sidelined in conversations revolving around sexual assault and rape.
That is why filmmaker Joshua Inberaj decided to make his upcoming documentary Nothing Gentle in the Shadows, which tackles the stigma and silence surrounding sexual violence against men.
“Male rape, based on my experience in talking to survivors, is one of the most under-reported crimes in Malaysia.
“In the process of gathering stories for this project, I was surprised to discover that male rape and sexual assault is much more common among men and boys than I initially thought,” Inberaj says.
“I wanted to let survivors know that they are seen and heard (with this documentary),” he adds.
The voices of these survivors and their stories deserve to be given a platform, he says, even if it is “difficult, graphic and visceral”.
He says he hopes learning about their stories will help others in society – parents, teachers, friends, and colleagues – have a better understanding of the importance of believing in and supporting victims as well as the necessity of having adequate protective laws in place.
“Do not joke about it, it is no laughing matter. Go to the police, make a report.
“I want victims to know that they can go to the hospital and get a rape kit administered. That they shouldn’t be ashamed.
“Nothing they did or didn’t do led to this,” Inberaj asserts.
There is a general stigma in Malaysian society, he says, that “boys can’t be raped and boys don’t cry” as well as an expectation for boys to stand up for themselves through physical force if necessary.
“These kinds of false beliefs stop men and boys from taking action against their perpetrators. In addition to suffering the aftereffects of sexual assault, they are forced by this stigma to continue hiding in the shadows to be accepted by society.”
It was not easy for him to convince male survivors to share their stories, he recounts.
Many of them started opening up to him after he related his own experience as a male sexual assault survivor.
Even then, not all of them ended up consenting to having their stories in the documentary.
“In the documentary which I co-directed with Malaysian filmmaker Laura Low, three victim profiles were featured.
“I was not able to feature all of the profiles I spoke to – some of them did not want their stories out in the open despite using pseudonyms because they feared repercussions to their career or how their social circle might perceive them.
“Nevertheless, these survivors are all very brave to share their stories and I appreciate each one of the stories entrusted to me,” Inberaj says.
Police data shows that the number of male victims has steadily increased in the last two years.
In 2023, the police recorded a total of 3,361 sexual harassment and assault cases, with 135 of the victims being male, which is around 4% of the total victims.
Two years ago, there were 82 male victims recorded, with the number rising to 95 in 2022.
Most of these cases involving male victims were investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code, dealing with words or gestures intended to “insult the modesty of a person”.
Others were victims involving the spread of obscene materials or stalking.
However, there were no male rape victims, according to police statistics.
Under Malaysian law, rape is explicitly defined as an act committed by a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman against her will or without her consent.
Calling it a “failure of society” to address male rape as a crime, Inberaj says victims end up being forced into hiding their trauma and psychological scars for a lifetime because they do not know what legal recourse is available to them.
“There are no widely known protocols for male rape victims. Many do not know what to do when they are assaulted. Do they go to the police? What would happen next if they do? Would this be considered rape since they are not a woman?”
“Society has failed them by making them victims twice over.
“Any male person who has been assaulted sexually deserves the dignity of being believed, of getting medical help, of having protective laws in place that mete out justice for them, and most importantly, a society that supports them.”
“Nothing Gentle in the Shadows” will be screened at the FreedomFilmFest 2024 on Aug 3, 2024 at 8pm at PJ Live Arts, Jaya One. For more information, go to https://freedomfilm.my/
