This is according to women's advocacy group, Aware. The group also said that they get an average of 20 such cases on their hotline a year.
Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that some of the women had sought help from Aware after they were sexually assaulted within three days of the attack, and the reasons they did not report about the attacks immediately included feeling afraid, feeling ashamed or even blaming themselves. One of the victims only revealed her predicament 10 years after she was assaulted.
Aware's executive director Corinna Lim said that of the 24 women who called its hotline last year, a majority were encouraged to do so by their boyfriends or husbands.
The women often cited friends or relatives, and colleagues or men they went out on dates with as their attackers. A few were assaulted by their husbands. Some of them were attacked after they had been drinking. Some of the women only called Aware's hotline three days after their attack.
About 90 per cent of the women did not make a police report. The victims often said they were confused, lost sleep over the matter, and could not remember details of their attack. Some even became depressed.
Ms Lim told Lianhe Wanbao: "If the women who were assaulted do not seek help, it will be very difficult for them to move on. We even had one caller who was attacked 10 years ago."
To help these women who feel at a loss after being sexually assaulted, Aware has set up the Sexual Assault Befrienders Service, or SABS, to offer assistance to victims.
If you wish to contact Aware at the SABS hotline, you can do so at from Mondays to Fridays at the following telephone numbers: 6779 7137, from 10am to 3pm, or 1800-7745935, from 3pm to 9.30pm.
source : asiaone
