In rape cases, 'no' means 'no' to everyone except the British...

This follows on from a piece I posted yesterday around the issue of evidence on alcohol use in rape cases. In short, Lady Stern is calling for an abolition of an argument often invoked in rape cases that drunk men who rape can be excused because they know no better. This...

Drunk men who demand sex should be 'treated as rapists

"Drunken men who demand sex from their wives or girlfriends should be treated as rapists and no longer allowed to claim their judgment was blurred by alcohol, according to the head of the government's review of the rape laws."Well now. This is what seems to be a progressive...

South Wales police admit failings in rape inquiry

"A police force failed to properly investigate an allegation of rape and let the victim down "by basic policing errors and lack of adequate support", an independent investigation has found."This is another in a series of stories highlighted by this author on the treatment and...

Expert view on rape: 'Victims are judged and often not believed'

"The ability of the criminal justice system to deal effectively and humanely with both rape victims, and victims with mental health problems, has been an area of persistent criticism in recent times."I think I could probably post a piece a day about this issue. Rape victims...

Rape investigations unit launched by Metropolitan Police

"The country's first dedicated rape intelligence unit has been set up within the Metropolitan police promising to identify and track down serial attackers, in response to a series of high-profile failures that left prolific sex offenders free to prey on hundreds of women."And...

Rape complaint woman reaches settlement with police

"In the first known case of its kind, a woman who made a rape complaint which was not investigated properly has reached an out of court settlement with police. Catherine says the man who raped her knew he was targeting a particularly vulnerable woman." This is gratifying news...

Irish Church accused of abuse cover-up

"A damning report into child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese has criticised the Catholic Church hierarchy for covering up the abuse. The report investigated how Church and state authorities handled allegations of child abuse against 46 priests. " I thought that this had...

Child rape epidemic in Zimbabwe

"Tens of thousands of children have been sexually abused in Zimbabwe in a growing epidemic that has shocked human rights activists. A single clinic in the capital, Harare, says it has treated nearly 30,000 girls and boys who were abused in the past four years ‑ an average...

Prostitution: a crime of purchasing

"Peers have been debating the policing and crime bill. Their deliberations mean that the government will take a historic step: instead of controlling prostitution by punishing women, it will penalise the purchasers – the men." This is an unpredictable development. (And one...

Violent offenders receiving only police cautions

"If you commit a crime and get caught it is reasonable to think that you will go to court, be prosecuted and pay the price for your actions. Not necessarily. In fact, in England and Wales half of all criminal cases brought to justice these days are punished out of court by...