As technology advances, so do the ways people can abuse that technology, and the lines can get blurred between the virtual and the real worlds.
Take, for example, this story from The New York Post.
Police investigating first case of girl’s virtual gang rape in metaverse https://t.co/dwrp3sopgC pic.twitter.com/qQZtSP51hn
— New York Post (@nypost) January 3, 2024
British police are investigating the alleged gang rape of a girl’s avatar in a virtual reality game, in what is believed to be the first probe of its kind involving the metaverse.
The alleged victim, identified only as a girl under 16, was wearing a virtual reality headset in an immersive game when her avatar, an animated representation of her, was raped by those of several men, the Daily Mail first reported.
Although the accuser did not sustain any physical injuries, she may have suffered trauma similar to someone who’d been raped in real life, police sources told the outlet.
“There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer-term than any physical injuries,” a senior officer familiar with the case told the outlet.
First, the fact that this investigation is happening in Britain isn't shocking. They don't concern themselves so much with real crime but will arrest you if you say someone looks like a lesbian.
And while we understand that rape is traumatic, this is a video game. An 'animated representation' of someone.
Twitter/X users were skeptical of this story and the police involvement:
Virtual police?
— 🫃🏼💉🇺🇦Hollaria Briden, Esq. (@HollyBriden) January 3, 2024
Nope, very real police.
— Jake13th 🏴☠️ (@JakeThirteenth) January 3, 2024
That was our facial expression, too.
What a time to be alive.
I was teabagged in Call of Duty. AMA.
— Dad Bod (@AFRupar) January 3, 2024
We laughed out loud at this.
Did the rapist leave any virtual DNA to analyze?
— Dr. Gay Russian Bot (@overitall69) January 3, 2024
We're gonna go with 'no' on this one.
Um. Just turn the game off. Lol.
— Alex (@Rabidcow1) January 3, 2024
That seems like the solution, yet here we are.
This investigation is weird, but what kind of men go around in the metaverse raping avatars? https://t.co/emsq5x8cAT
— Jake13th 🏴☠️ (@JakeThirteenth) January 3, 2024
Losers and creeps, that's who. And, if it's some stupid teenage boys, the parents need to do a better job of monitoring their online behavior.
The investigation is weird.
Did it occur to her to remove the headset? https://t.co/Z5PknpcaPk
— NiedermeyersDeadHorse aka NDH (@NiedsG) January 3, 2024
Apparently, no.
Are we all going to jail now for t bagging ppl in video games years ago? https://t.co/824cgSRTEw
— 🚬🎅🏿🖕🏻 Nova🇨🇦Scotia (@blllackface420) January 3, 2024
It'll be interesting to see if this is where that leads.
Two words in and I'm already thinking "of course" https://t.co/QIsUokySPB pic.twitter.com/qfLwpSUfxn
— CR-74 (@ChudRunner) January 3, 2024
That's exactly what we thought, as we said earlier.
The replies are disgusting and show that people condone r*pe when it’s not physical. A person shouldn’t have to “take the headset off” every time someone thinks it’s okay to virtually r*pe.
— WGH For State Rep 🗳️ (@willardgharris) January 3, 2024
People should not think it is ok to go virtually r*pe someone.
STOP BLAMING WOMEN! https://t.co/NiWdbznno5
Taking the headset off gives the woman more agency than going to the police.
Csi: virtual reality
— BlondesGhost👻 (@NotABotBlonde) January 3, 2024
There you go @CBS I just pitched you an idea https://t.co/ATFaE7nrfd
This opens up a giant can of worms. Huge.
My corpse was humped thousands of times on Halo 2 online, but we just chuckled and went on with life, albeit occasionally tilted. https://t.co/cSGT3i6NQk
— Change the Padres (@ChangeThePadres) January 3, 2024
And we have to wonder if the blurring of lines between virtual worlds and reality is causing this problem. Realizing it's essentially the Metaverse is essentially a video game you can shut off is key here.
In a world of pure imagination https://t.co/wnxdiFkAgP
— VRock The Brilliant ✨ (@vrock72) January 3, 2024
It is a world of pure imagination.
We need to remind people of that.
Yes nobody saw this one coming.
— Annie Sarcasm (@the_anni3) January 3, 2024
We can't believe no one didn't realize that idiots would try this stuff in the Metaverse and program accordingly.
This straight up sounds like satire
— ₳ndrew || Burning Forest (@Burning_Forest) January 3, 2024
Truth, sadly, is stranger than fiction.
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