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YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    'SlutWalkers' Step Up Demand For Justice

    Hundreds of women dressed in their underwear have marched through London in protest at the way the legal system 'lets down' rape victims.

    The demonstration was organised as part of the SlutWalk movement, which calls for a change in police and prosecution priorities to get more rapists and sex offenders behind bars.

    Earlier this week, around a dozen protesters protested opposite Downing Street to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure the criminal justice system takes rape and sexual assault cases more seriously.

    Student Anastasia Richardson, 18, said: "All the failings of the police and courts, they are only allowed to happen because there is not proper supervision at the top, because rape is not being made a priority within the justice system.

    "Rape is essentially legal in this country. That is very much his (Mr Cameron's) responsibility to stop."

    According to the activists, only seven out of every 100 reported rapes end in conviction.

    "SlutWalk wants justice for the thousands of rape survivors who were told by the police and courts that they were dressed too provocatively, they didn't scream loudly enough, they were too drunk or too young or too mentally ill to understand what had happened to them," a spokeswoman said.

    "It does terrible things to people when they don't get justice. Without justice there is no protection for you, your friends or family - whoever got away with it and others like him will expect to get away with it again.

    "By marching again this year, we are letting the authorities know that we will not go away until they take rape seriously by thoroughly investigating and prosecuting."

    The SlutWalk movement began in 2011 after a Toronto policeman caused an outcry by telling a group of students that women should not dress provocatively in order to avoid being sexually assaulted.

    Thousands of women have since joined protests and marches in countries including Canada, the US and Britain.