Includes bibliographical references (p. [217]-227) and index. "Really liked the way this book was written eg in chapters relating to different aspects of rape and its aftermath (and not in chapters of each woman's story). I could identify a lot of my feelings with those of these women and it is a huge help to know how I felt, and still feel is ok and normal"--Comment from rape victim

Serial survivors presents the stories of fifteen women who survived being sexual assaulted by the same serial rapist, Malcolm Rewa, in the 1980s and 1990s. Based on extensive interviews with the women, the stories illustrate how each stage of the process following the attack became an exercise in survival - surviving the assault, managing police interviewing, surviving and coping with going to court, and also managing how others around respond and how those close to them are affected. The picture that emerges demonstrates that surviving rape is not a one-off event but a continual process. The stories in this book challenge conventional, often limited, understandings of what it means to resist and survive a rape attack. By looking at the same rapist the women's stories highlight how a similar act can impact in very different ways, and that the legal determination of rape does not necessarily reflect in their experience. The women's stories demonstrate that attempted rape can be equally damaging to a women's sense of safety in the world and yet is treated very differently by police and court processes. However the stories in the book show that in the cases where women were seen as experiencing 'real' rape they got a high level of support. These women's stories highlight that a key way to reduce high attrition rates is to increase support for victims/survivors, and reinforce the importance for everyone interacting with them of listening empathically to each individual.

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