Degrees of rape - The poll

[Fishcake]

I thought "degrees of rape" were a eurovision entry. I was just about to write to points of view to complain when I decided to read the thread. Of course some rape is worse than others. Some will be more traumatic and some less so and the intent of the perpetrator will vary. All types are wrong but surely each case needs to be looked at individually and a decision made accordingly, which is why having degrees/categories will help in allowing sentencing to be more appropriate rather than the blanket sytem in place now.

[Kthebean]

I thought "degrees of rape" were a eurovision entry. I was just about to write to points of view to complain when I decided to read the thread. Of course some rape is worse than others. Some will be more traumatic and some less so and the intent of the perpetrator will vary. All types are wrong but surely each case needs to be looked at individually and a decision made accordingly, which is why having degrees/categories will help in allowing sentencing to be more appropriate rather than the blanket sytem in place now.

 

Fine. Correct. Apart from - there isn't a blanket sentencing now - judges make decisions based on the circumstances.

 

What is not fine is insinuating that 'date rape' is less damaging, or more acceptable than 'serious rape'. Rape is rape. I struggle also to see how the intent of the perpatrator matters. 'I didn't mean to rape her, gov'?

[Agent Orange]

I do claim it's a product of stupid liberal ideas about free sex. Children see it all over the place and think it's OK for them as well.

It's going to happen if society accepts semi naked lasses in newspapers that are delivered by 12 year old boys.

What the hell does anyone expect?

 

What a load of rubbish.

[boyfriday]

You are agreeing with everyone else but being pedantic about the wording aren't you!

 

I think it's useful to be pedantic in terminology when discussing an issue that has enough grey areas as it is.

[boyfriday]

I would have to agree, boys should take more care but this is the real world and boys are told they can shag without consequences and it's always someone else at fault if they do something wrong.

I can't help it if UK society has taken a rough turn.

 

I'm pretty sure it has been used but it's no excuse. My only point is I can see how a man could have sex with a young lass and not even realise it.

I don't doubt it uiw, but it's no defence unless the man is under 24 years of age. It's an ambiguity why an older man should have any better reasoning of a girl's age than a 23 year old one, but that's how it stands. So men should be very conscious of this if they're not prepared to be circumspect about casual sexual encounters as per your comment above.

 

I've not claimed it was right or proper.

I do claim it's a product of stupid liberal ideas about free sex. Children see it all over the place and think it's OK for them as well.

It's going to happen if society accepts semi naked lasses in newspapers that are delivered by 12 year old boys.

What the hell does anyone expect?

Yes, I agree-young people are exposed to pornographic material and the means of accessing it that change faster than legislators can do anything about it. Although I believe our young people are generally much more socially aware than we were, their brains function differently and they're still children at the end of the day.

 

Incidentally I wasn't suggesting you believed it was right btw.

[Karis]

There are degrees of rape just as there are degrees of murder. It's all rather abhorrent but I've been reading the paper today and seeing all the people saying 'all rape is the same'.

[Fishcake]

Fine. Correct. Apart from - there isn't a blanket sentencing now - judges make decisions based on the circumstances.

 

What is not fine is insinuating that 'date rape' is less damaging, or more acceptable than 'serious rape'. Rape is rape. I struggle also to see how the intent of the perpatrator matters. 'I didn't mean to rape her, gov'?

 

No - all rape is wrong. If someone gets a woman drunk then has sex with her, this is wrong. If someone gets a woman drunk, kidnaps her and has sex with her it is worse still. Surely you can see that the two aren't simply black and white wrong or right?

 

A woman who is drunk and someone takes advantage of her is going to go through a shed load of anguish and be emotionally damaged but don't you think a young girl being kidnapped and gang raped, beaten and drugged means the sentence should be more harsh.

 

Intent - If a chap has sex with someone he believes is over the age of consent etc as opposed to just someone who forces someone into having sex, surely there was no intent of a malicious or "evil" nature in one where the other is plain evil.

[llamatron]

I think it's useful to be pedantic in terminology when discussing an issue that has enough grey areas as it is.

 

I disagree, you are creating an argument when there isn't one!

 

You know the poll means that some rape is worse than other rapes due to the situation surrounding it but you are arguing that there aren't different degrees of rape but there are mitigating factors. The mitigating factors are exactly what everyone else is saying is a factor that distinguishes one rape from another.

[Fishcake]

I disagree, you are creating an argument when there isn't one!

 

I am with BF here, in discussions where there is such a lack of clarity and understanding about terms used, and what you may mean rather than how it is interpretted it is vital to be clear.

[boyfriday]

You are agreeing with everyone else but being pedantic about the wording aren't you!

 

By the way, there can't be varying degrees of consent, it's either 'yes' or 'no'-there's nothing pedantic about that.

 

What I tell my kids is consent means someone saying "I'd like to have sex with you" (no problermo) or implied consent is her dragging you back to her house, throwing herself on the bed in the nuddie, and inviting you to join her with her legs akimbo..failing either scenario-ASK, it's hardly rocket science.