Biden: Abused women fear being "raped" by the system

WASHINGTON Vice President Joe Biden said many women who are raped or physically abused don't report it because they don't want, in his words, "to get raped again by the system."

"Why do you think women who get raped, so many don't report it? They don't want to get raped again by the system," Biden said. "They don't want to be put through what they had to be put through."

Biden added that many women who are abused are "ashamed" and "embarrassed," saying it takes enormous courage for women to come forward and ask for help after being victims of domestic violence.

The vice president said some women are afraid to leave abusers because they'd be leaving their children behind. He touted the recently re-authorized Violence Against Women Act as critical to helping women escape violent situations.

Biden's comments came during a speech Wednesday night at a fundraiser at a Washington hotel for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, which provides free legal services in family law cases, including domestic violence cases, to low-income residents of the District of Columbia. He praised the group for "doing God's work," saying legal help for domestic violence victims is critical to freeing them from being imprisoned by their circumstances.