Nov. 30, 2013, 11:24 p.m.
SINCE telling her story of being raped at knife-point in Kenya, Hobart-based woman Philippa Strickland has been overwhelmed with support, both in Tasmania and overseas.
The 31-year-old, who was attacked on the island of Lamu in September, wants to raise greater awareness of how such crimes are treated in Africa.
``When I first returned from Kenya, a few days after the incident, I was just so relieved to be home - I wanted to put it all out of my mind,'' Miss Strickland said.
However, a few weeks later she read about the gang rape of a Kenyan schoolgirl and how the offenders were caught and made to cut grass around the police station as punishment.
``I was horrified at the response in this girl's case,'' she said. ``I started to think whether the police really saw anything wrong with what these men had done.
``Then quite soon after I heard about another rape on Lamu and the reaction of the local people who seem to be aware that unless they become vigilantes perhaps no justice would be served. Then I wanted to make people aware of what was going on.''
Miss Strickland had just left a restaurant when her attacker grabbed her and put a knife to her throat. She came to under a wooden boat with the balaclava-clad man on top of her.
``We take it for granted in Australia that if a crime is committed, usually the justice system will run its course and the offender, if found, will be prosecuted,'' she said.
``But in much of Africa this is not always the case, and too often, especially for women, they have no voice to speak out or they are too scared to.
``While the article focuses on what happened to me, perhaps we need to be shocked by the events affecting somebody we can relate to before the bigger picture of what is happening in other parts of the world can be understood.''
Miss Strickland was treated in hospital and given a course of antiretroviral drugs to lessen the risk of contracting HIV. She has a follow-up HIV test tomorrow , which she said coincided quite well with World Aids Day today.
``I was quite diligent with the antiretrovirals following the incident. I feel quite confident I will have a negative result.
``It has been almost three months now and I feel very strong about everything that has happened. There have been moments when I have been home alone where I have felt uneasy, and one moment in a unisex public toilet where I had a little panic attack hearing somebody else come in, but I think these are just tests that I have to deal with.''
Miss Strickland plans to return to Kenya and Lamu, in time.
``I have visited Africa three times and have an intense love for the continent. There is a spirit there that is infectious, and nothing could stop me from wanting to go back.''