A survivor of rape is attempting to return ‘Shame’ to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Dolly Sen has carved the word “SHAME” out of wood. She’s then covered it in facts and figures about rape in the UK, as well as quotes from survivors. And she’ll attempt to deliver the art piece to Windsor or to his home in Norfolk.
Sen says:
I am doing this for Virginia, for Gisèle, for myself, and for the 2000 women who be raped this week and the vast majority will have no justice.
Gisèle Pelicot requested a public trial of the more than 50 men who raped her while she was unconscious. She wanted to raise awareness of ‘chemical submission’ and give encouragement to other survivors. Pelicot has now written about her experiences in a book with the subtitle: “Shame has to change sides”.
Before her untimely death, Virginia Giuffre alleged that Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein had groomed her to have sexual encounters with rich and powerful men, including Windsor.
Sen lays out the grim statistics around rape and sexual assault:
- 1 in 4 women have been raped or sexual assaulted.
- Fewer than 3 in 100 rapes in 2024 recorded by police resulted in someone being charged, let alone convicted.
- On average, approximately 10,000 women are sexually assaulted and 2,000 are raped every week in England and Wales.
Windsor may avoid court
Sen also says:
Some say Andrew hasn’t been convicted as a sexual predator or abuser, it is all alleged. This is the problem. It will always be alleged. 1,200 women were abused under Epstein and not a single person has been charged, let alone seen the inside of a court room. I believe Virginia Giuffre. I also believe he will never go to trial because of his status.
What will be interesting is that I may get arrested for this action even though there will be no violence involved. I will probably see a court before Andrew does.
He is a symbol of entrenched privilege and lack of accountability. There is a special gravity for certain bodies – they fall upwards, buoyed by privilege, cushioned by silence. Elsewhere, we are pinned down.
The Epstein files case has become a stark symbol of systemic failure, where survivors’ voices are dismissed and influential abusers evade accountability: the shame belongs not to those who survived abuse.
We are reclaiming our voices, our power, and returning the shame where it belongs: to abusers and the institutions that enable and protect them. My body is no longer the site of shame or apology. It is a site of truth and resistance.
Sen is calling for:
- Transparent investigations and accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of wealth or status.
- Stronger legal protections and support for survivors.
- Greater investment in survivor services, including counselling and legal aid.
- Education campaigns challenging systemic gender inequality and toxic cultures that normalise abuse.
And Sen concludes:
By returning the shame, women are refusing to be silent, reframing the conversation, and forcing society to confront the manufacturers of shame that allow sexual violence to persist.
This is about our right to justice and dignity. We do not get it from the police, the media, or the court system. We are done carrying shame.
Sen is a writer, artist, and activist whose fearless work centres on social justice and challenging institutional abuse and discrimination. Through her public speaking, creative practice, and campaigning, she has consistently amplified the voices of marginalised people.
Some of her previous activism includes Sectioning the DWP and creating Help the Normals, an art piece featureing charity collecting cans. This challenges assumptions about pity, disability, and who society defines as “normal”. Help the Normals is now part of the Wellcome Collection’s Being Human exhibition.
Featured image via the Canary
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