"Another 'Railway Carriage Assault'"

The Illustrated Police News published an article entitled “Another ‘Railway Carriage Assault’” on January 12, 1867. The article reports on the assault of a girl between the ages of 13 and 14 by her employer while travelling from Croydon to Bromley, but clearly fails to take her allegation seriously. The girl provides a detailed account of the assault, saying that “during the whole journey [her assaulter] kept hugging and kissing her,” and that “[she] cried the whole of the way” but “never complained to anyone,” even though she periodically saw stationmasters and other travellers. The article then goes on to provide evidence against her claim, specifically noting that “she was talkative to the porters, and laughing at Beckenham about some holly in her hand, and almost all her statements upon minor details . . . were entirely and completely contradicted.” Additionally, the article mentions that she recently made a “similar false charge” against her cousin and was turned out of the house by her adoptive uncle, described as “a very respectable farmer,” as a result. The article ends by stating that “there was not the slightest foundation for the charge,” and that her assaulter “would leave the court without the slightest stain on his character.”

The language of the article suggests that not a word of the girl’s account is believed to be the truth. The placement of scare quotes around “Railway Carriage Assault” not only implies doubt as to whether or not the assault was actually committed, but also seems to mock her and to devalue her claim entirely; moreover, the title’s emphasis on the fact that there has been yet “Another” assault implies that this isn’t the first time that a court has dismissed a similar allegation of sexual assault. The article suggests that the fact that she was “talkative” and “laughing” is sufficient proof that she was not actually assaulted, and that her assaulter leaving court “without the slightest stain on his character” is a triumph. It refuses to give her a fair chance from the outset, and concludes with a celebratory statement that is concerned with the state of the assaulter and not at all with his accuser (how did the verdict affect her?). The article is indicative of the androcentric nature of the Victorian media, as well as the blatant negligence of the Victorian criminal justice system. And what is perhaps most disconcerting of all is the inescapable fact that victims of sexual assault are still being silenced, doubted, ignored and ostracized more than a hundred and fifty years later.