kittycat1

That article is actually quite confusing to read- Is it addressing statutory rape or forcible rape? My understanding of date rape is that it is forcible rape- statutory rape is sex with a minor? having read your comments I have gone back and read it again and it is easy to concentrate on several different elements. The comment of

is only at the bottom and I am unable to watch the report as I have no sound at work so I cannot gage if Ken's comments were purely refering to consensual sex between a 15 and a 17 year old or if this was just one part of his comments. so we all know how I feel about forcible rape and below are tuppence on statutory rape- a very grey area.

If they feel a 17 year old having consensual sex with a 15 year old is not really rape- well how would they feel if it was a 29 year old man? The girl is still as mature as the one sleeping with the 17 year old so is that ok or its just more acceptable to sleep with someone your own age? How many girls at 15 see 17 year old men as immature and look at older men. Maybe a guy thats 20 or 21 with a job and a car, or even an immature 25 year old or a father fgure in a 30 year old. Hang on a 30 year old man with a 15 year old girl- that sounds odd, but to a 15 year old girl thats a mature sexy guy- should he stop anything from happening as he is an adult- more so than the 17 year old man? The girl knows her own mind- she is 15 and looks 19, she is choosing her education direction, pyhsically she is mature. If there is no problem with anyone having sex with a 15 year old then reduce the age of consent. Is a 17 year old taking advantage of a 15 year olds naivity and eagerness to please?- yes I would say so- yes you may get a mature 15 year old who is more wordly wise however at 15 you think you know everything yet really you are open to the influence of those you look up to- which at 15 a 17 year old boyfriend is god. At 17 you know you are breaking the law sleeping with a 15 year old-how often does a 15 year old girl sleep with her boyfriend under pressure- from friends or by him and how often do you get 15 year old girl pregnant with no husband but a lot of regrets. At 17 you know drink driving is illegal, do you still do it, yes- some do, but they are aware that their actons may have consequences if caught. If you are having sex with a 15 year old you are taking advantage of a minor and with that too should come consequences. Without such consequences how can you protect the children involved? If its the girls 16th birthday a week later is it still as bad? If its a 30 year old man having sex with her or a 17 year old- its still illegal and she is still a minor? Its a very grey area indeed. As I have said reduce the age of consent for girls if it is recognized that the are emotionally mature enough to be sexually active at 15 or raise the age of consent for boys to 17.

I must admit I would hate to be a young man that goes clubbing and pulls a girl that says she is 18 or 19- when she is reallly only 13, 14 or 15. It's an absolute minefield.

Of course every case is different and should be handled as so, but for a politician to be making such sweeping statements is leaving yourself open to criticism, there is no way you can define such a grey area.

To grade rape crimes is a very controversial and sensitive area- perhaps is should be viewed as rape with the added charge of GBH etc for violent rape crimes.

typical

That's not the part I would be pissed off by (except, again - that situation is still not rape).

The full interview is here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13444770

"Clarke: Rapists don't get… rapists get more than that.

Derbyshire: Hang on a minute. Five years on average, yes they do Mr Clarke, yes they do.

Clarke: That includes date rape, 17-year-olds having intercourse with 15-year-olds."

Either Clarke is confusing date rape and the 17yo-15yo situation, or he is saying it's ok to expect date rape sentences to be short.

Neither is at all good.

You imagine wrong.

See the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Having sex with someone between the age of 13 and 16 consentually is not rape. The ability to consent kicks in at 13, not 16. Such a situation is still a crime, and the crime is "Sexual activity with a child". It is not rape.

typical

Not really - if he could show he reasonably believed she was above 16 (possibly not so difficult if she is drinking in a club), he would not have committed an offence.

If she were 12, he'd really be in the crap though.

scrubbedexpat141

You must either be;

A- A lawyer
B- A rapist

I hadn't seen / read / heard the full conversation so was just chucking in the bit I saw, it's a minefield and I think he has made an error stepping into such an emotional argument where law doesn't neccessarily represent what is seen as right or wrong in a populations eyes...

typical

There's a C - see if you can figure out what it is.

He's the bloody justice secretary. There's no reason he shouldn't talk about such things, but he shouldn't be so ignorant about them.

Don't get me started on how the population sees rape.

typical

(My posts in this thread are brought to you by the words "touched" and "nerve".)

Brains1983

completely agree.


When I was 18, I went out clubbing with a couple of mates in Aberdeen. Met a cute girl in the club, copped off and had a little play with the tits on the way home. Was rather embarrassed when I went for lunch from work next day at the Dyce shopping centre and saw her outside ASDA on her lunch break in school uniform! She certainly looked and acted mature enough to pass as someone that sould have legally been in the club. Felt bad for a while after that. But they were nice tits.

Bahtatboy

Trainspotting. But hopefully without the bedlinen.

Brains1983

Only shat myself afterwards, thankfully

Bahtatboy