I live in the United States. I heard through the grapevine that we live in a rape culture. I do not deny that rape culture is a real thing that exists in the Middle East. However, does rape culture exist in Western democracies? Let's look at that question and play devil's advocate.

There exist some stories of sexual abuse not being taken seriously.

https://theconversation.com/rape-on-campus-athletes-status-and-the-sexual-assault-crisis-72255

https://www.npr.org/2015/08/05/429641136/journalist-says-lax-policing-allowed-nfl-player-to-get-away-with-serial-rape

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-the-military-retaliates-against-sexual-assault-victims/

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/why-the-military-has-a-rape-problem/

Look, for example, at the story of Monica Contreras. A 29 year old divorcee named Monica Contreras was at the Clark County Family Court in Nevada with her 2 year old daughter. They were there to sort out issues of her divorce case. This was supposed to be a 10 minute hearing. Video footage clearly shows Contreras saying goodbye to judge Patricia Doninger as the meeting ends. Contreras and her daughter were stopped by Family Court Marshal Ron Fox, who ordered Contreras into a waiting room alone for a drug search. Though he claimed that was what he was searching for, he had no evidence that she had drugs, making this a clear violation of the fourth amendment. During this unconstitutional search, officer Fox touched Contreras’ breasts and back side inappropriately and ordered her to lift her shirt. Contreras went back to the courtroom to complain about what Fox had just done. Fox ordered a courtroom officer to put Contreras in handcuffs. When asked to justify this arrest, Fox explained that he was being falsely accused of sexual harassment and he is arresting her for lying. Investigation found no law supporting such an arrest. When instructed, by Fox, to take the stand and recant her accusation, she refused, doubling down on her accusation and trying in vain to appeal to judge Donniger. Contreras would serve two months in jail, while her daughter was in a safe haven. Eventually, when an investigation discovered that Ron Fox was guilty of sexual harassment, the charges against Contreras were dropped and Court Marshal Fox was fired, as was judge Donniger.

https://www.inquisitr.com/1347042/woman-groped-atk-child-custody-hearing-gets-big-bucks-video/

https://youtu.be/afszd_kareA

https://www.opposingviews.com/category/court-marshal-allegedly-sexually-assaulted-woman-family-court-then-arrests-her-video

http://fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/health/morality_ethics_values/news.php?q=1421435880

However, that was just one story, you can point to many other stories where sexual abuse is totally taken seriously. Here is one story where sexual abuse was totally taken seriously. In 2017, male to female transgender Michelle Martinez was arrested for the sexual assault of a 10 year old girl. The rape took place in a the victim’s home. Martinez was actually friends with the little girl’s parents. Their friendship has been destroyed. Here are links to sources talking about that case:

https://youtu.be/siJ-tlWZQ4A

https://rollingout.com/2017/10/20/transgender-woman-faces-70-years-jail-raping-child-restroom/

https://www.jdjournal.com/2017/10/20/transgender-woman-rapes-girl-in-bathroom/

https://www.womenarehuman.com/male-transgender-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-a-10-year-old-girl-miguel-michelle-martinez/

https://reason.com/2017/10/20/a-transgender-woman-assaulted-a-child-in/

Whether or not sexual abuse is typically taken seriously, I am not sure, I’d say that the evidence points to yes. The Rape Abuse and Incest National Network says that rape is not caused by cultural factors, it is caused by the conscious decisions of the small minority of the community to commit a violent crime ( https://www.rainn.org/news/rainn-urges-white-house-task-force-overhaul-colleges%E2%80%99-treatment-rape ).