The lead story about one woman's fight to save herself from being raped is indeed inspiring.

The story was published in Wednesday's STAR and gave a detailed account of how the alleged attempted rapist lured the woman into bushes under the guise that he would be sponsoring her in a beauty pageant. Though the woman should have been more careful and less gullible, there is no excuse for the man's actions if, of course, the allegations are true.

If he truly did what he is accused of doing however, then quite frankly, he got what he deserved. No man has the right to force himself on to a woman, and a woman in such a situation has all right to defend herself, her body and her dignity. A man convicted of rape or attempted rape should be punished severely, especially in a case like this, where it is alleged that the attacker used a knife to threaten the woman.

Women who have been in threatening situations like these and have managed to fight off their attackers need to share their stories, so the sick perverts who like to prey on females can realise that not everyone will be an easy conquest or a cowering victim.

Rape is the ultimate form of violation a woman can face, and any man who attempts to disrespect a woman in that way should know that things don't always work out in their favour.