Iain Dale addresses male rape and sexual assault: "This goes on more than you think"

3 August 2020, 21:20

Iain Dale opens up about experience of attempted rape

Iain Dale addressed the topic of male sexual assault and rape, and nailed down the importance of talking about the issue.

Over the weekend, Iain Dale featured in an article where he opened up about his own experience of an attempted rape which happened thirty years ago. After receiving hundreds of messages of support from people and people sharing their experiences with him, he decided to address the issue on-air.

"It's one of the last great taboo subjects," Iain began. He pointed out that this is a subject that is rarely spoken about in the media and this must change.

Iain addressed people who have said that he "asked for it" when he experienced his attempted rape. Iain said that these people "don't understand the concept of consent."

"At any point in any sexual encounter, whether you're a man or a woman, you have the right to say no, and as soon as you say no, things should stop there."

Iain briefly went in to his experience on air. "Had I not been six foot two and fifteen stone it could have ended rather differently to how it did," he said, reminding listeners that he was able to get out of the situation.

"I was actually locked in to this room and I eventually managed to escape. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience."

He extended his sympathy to men that have suffered rape or sexual abuse. "It takes away your sense of masculinity, you've been violated," he said, adding that he doesn't know how he would have gone to the police if he had been assaulted or raped.

Alex Feis-Bryce, Executive of SurvivorsUK sheds light on male rape

"I'd like to think the police would be much more sympathetic towards it now," Iain said, before again stressing for listeners that "this happens far more often than anybody thinks," and needs to be talked about.

Iain was joined on air by Alex Feis-Bryce, Chief Executive of SurvivorsUK which is a charity that helps sexually abused boys and men, and their friends and family.

He gave Iain the statistic that 12,000 men suffer a year from rape, attempted rape or sexual assault a year but said he feels the number is "just the tip of the iceberg."

Mr Feis-Bryce urged victims to reach out to people they trust or to services such as SurvivorsUK if they have experienced rape or sexual assault.

Iain told Mr Feis-Bryce he would be donating £400 to SurvivorsUK, which he said came from the penalty jar from the Li Dem Leadership Debate he hosted on Sunday.

You can contact SurvivorsUK- an organisation supporting men who have experienced both childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault/rape, at 020 3598 3898 or at https://www.survivorsuk.org/