Debate arising from chat.
We can all agree tha outright blaming of the victim is bad, but there are limits to this expression. When the victim fails to take proper precautions for their own safety, then they are inviting trouble, and some small part of the blame has to lie with the victim.
Some context: in the wake of robberies and assaults on Indian students in Australia, the Chief Commissioner has urged Indian students in high risk areas to "dress poorer", ie shed the bling when walking the streets alone. This is actually something I have said amongst friends - quite a few students who study here from India are from very wealthy backgrounds, and their choice of accessories shows this.
So a young, pampered and obviously cashed up person is wandering the streets alone, it is no surprise that they are occasionally assaulted.
Dressing down is a good precaution, trying to avoid wandering around alone is a better one. Ignoring these basic safety precautions raises your risk factors. In this case it isn't a matter a blaming the victim, but rather acknowledging that the victim is partly responsible for what happened.
Discuss.