Feminists have accused psychoanalysis of ignoring the realities of rape and of concentrating instead on fantasy and seduction. John Forrester argues that these accusations rest on a failure to distinguish psychoanalytic discourses from legal ones. Freud's insight into psychic realities and traumatic memories can explain the tendency of many victims of rape to feel guilt and doubt about what occurred. I argue that Forrester misses the point of feminist criticisms of psychoanalysis. His construal of the response of rape victims as retrospective consent conflicts with empirical studies of rape victims. It also rests on an inadequate moral psychology.
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