Dear Editor,

We do not agree that any programme about gang rape is better than none Letter re Dispatches (30 Nov). Comments that show that people want information - but at what price? We are against hiding any rape - whoever commits it, but this was outrageous distortion and sensationalist hype. It drew on a long racist history of identifying rape with Black men: this time Black boys. As rape survivors, counsellors and campaigners we protested against the programme.

Dispatches "research" was statistically indefensible. Their tiny sample came from selected police forces and courts in areas with large Black populations, half the cases were from South London where the murderers of Stephen Lawrence walked free. Disproportionate prosecutions of Black boys for rape reflect the racism of police, CPS and courts: Black men are 8 times more likely to be imprisoned for any crime than their white counterparts, probably even higher for rape (no figures available). Less than 1 in 60 rapes ever reach court, with girls least likely to report. Gang rape is a tiny proportion; most sexual violence is committed by adults, at home. None of this context was presented.

No wonder none of the academics alleged to have privately encouraged Dispatches would appear, and interviewees have complained they were misled.

Darcus Howe's later debate criticised Black peoples' sexuality and "culture", culminating in an attack on Black girls as promiscuous and on irresponsible mothers, implying working class Black people don't know the difference between sex and rape.

Both programmes undermined the anti-racist anti-rape movement, diverting public concern about rape into anger against Black people. This is dangerous for all women, beginning with Black women and girls who are least likely to get sympathetic treatment when reporting rape and who bear the brunt of the racist and sexist attacks the programmes incite.

Power to the sisters against rape.

Malika Thompson Black Women's Rape Action Project Lisa Longstaff Women Against Rape

It's rape not race

AS RAPE survivors, counsellors and campaigners we against Channel 4's Dispatches programme on rape.

"Dispatches' "research" was statistically indefensible. Its tiny sample came from areas with large Black populations.

Disproportionate prosecutions of Black boys for rape reflect the racism of the justice system: Black men are eight, times more likely to be imprisoned for any crime than their White counterparts; this figure is probably even higher for rape.

Darcus Howe's later debate criticised Black people's sexuality and "'culture", culminating in an attack on Black girls, as promiscuous and on irresponsible mothers, but these are completely different issues.

Both programmes undermined the anti-racist anti-rape movement, diverting public concern about rape into anger against Black people. This is dangerous for all women,' beginning with Black women and girls who are least likely to get sympathetic treatment when reporting rape and bear the brunt of the racist and sexist attacks the programmes incite.