Whatever your view of the Israel-Hamas war, rape is rape. To trivialise it is to diminish ourselves | Gaby Hinsliff

This isn't some ghoulish competition, where any empathy shown to dead Israelis leaves less available for Palestinians

There is no such thing as a perfect victim, but a million ways to be an imperfect one. She was drinking. Her skirt was too short. She went willingly back to the footballer's mansion, or up to Harvey Weinstein's hotel suite, so what did she think was going to happen? Maybe she was a teenage runaway, or a sex worker; he was a good boy, or a much-loved celebrity. There is a long list of reasons rapists get away with it, but it all too often starts with a jury's refusal to listen to a woman they have already decided for some stubborn reason not to like. Remember that, as we come to the distressing picture now emerging of alleged multiple rapes and sexual assaults by Hamas fighters amid the atrocities of 7 October.

This week, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, finally called for what he described as numerous accounts of sexual violence during the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas" to be vigorously investigated".

Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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