to think the legal system should not place white victims of sex crimes below Asians

[oldshilling]

www.theguardian.com/law/2015/sep/17/asian-child-sex-victims-suffer-more-than-white-children-court-rules

There has been a lot of news about certain Muslim men choosing to sexually abuse white girls rather than members of their own community, because of cultural differences making white girls often easier targets, and perhaps because perceptions of about non-Muslim women.

In this case, however, a Muslim man chose to sexually abuse Muslim girls, and was given a longer sentence on the basis that Muslim/Asian girls will suffer more than white girls, a decision that the Court of Appeal has confirmed.

AIBU to think that this is disgusting, particularly given the targeting of tens of thousands (at a minimum) of white girls by Muslim men.

[TheMotherOfHellbeasts]

Hmmm, I'm not really sure where I stand on this. I'm going to have a think about it.

[TheMotherOfHellbeasts]

I should add that all sexual abuse is disgusting, I say that as someone who was sexually abused as a child, teen and adult.

[laureywilliams]

Yanbu.

I didn't believe it until I read it. I'm stunned. And disgusted.

[Justanotherlurker]

Additionally, there were cultural concerns that the girls' future prospects of being regarded as a "good catch" for arranged marriages might be damaged.

Wow, so this is apparently worse than normal child abuse because these girls are now 'damaged goods'.

The judge should be disbarred.

[Lizzylou]

I think that you should get the thread title changed to "Muslims" instead of "Asians".

This is such a thorny issue, but yes, child abuse is child abuse and categorising children's response to abuse by faith/race is seemingly pretty disgusting.

[GeraldineFangedVagine]

I can see the point the judge is trying to make, but I think it's dreadful that such a thing can be taken into account or that any victim of child abuse suffers less because of their ethnicity.

[kali110]

That is disgusting!
All abuse should be treated the same!
This is certainly going to help race relations

[redexpat]

Well i suppose what theyre getting at is that in many cultures the girls will now be unmarriable. With marriage and motherhood comes status and belonging. By depriving a girl of that means she will be marginalised for life. There will also be shame on the family. That wouldnt necessarily be the case for a white girl. I think thats what they are getting at. There are additional consequences.

Im not saying i agree, but thats the argument.

[NotMeNotYouNotAnyone]

Hmmm I think it's possible to recognise that there are cultural differences in attitudes and some communities may not differentiate between consensual sex and sexual abuse, and that girls in these communities may have even more lasting effects from abuse than other girls. Without condoning that attitude at sll but recognising that the victims are victimised by it as well as the crime itself.

I'm not sure at all sure about it influencing sentencing though. It could be seen to send a message that it's better to abuse girls from x culture than girls from y culture which is awful.

[hedgehogsdontbite]

I'm shocked that a man convicted of sexually abusing 2 children multiple times gets just 7 years.

[HermioneWeasley]

Disgusting verdict. Though personally I'd have child sex abusers executed so there wouldn't be shades of sentencing.

[SaucyJack]

I think it's a fair point actually looking at the cultural differences, although I'm not sure that it should affect sentences passed in a UK court.

Child rape victims in extremist Muslim countries are punished for adultery. Western society is quite simply nicer on this one. This is a good thing.

[Griphook]

Can you imagine how you would feel if someone who abused you received a lesser sentence because of your race, religion or class?

Abuse is abuse, regardless of who you are or where you come from. The judge should be disbarred.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Yanbu. How can that opinion possibly be voiced

[kali110]

I'm also sad that these girls would be considered damage products and not for for marriage.

[BarbarianMum]

YANBU perhaps such communities could change their fucking medieval attitudes instead. Parents could, for example, take the view that any man/family who thinks in this way is unlikely to make a good husband/family anyway.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Isn't it victim blaming?

[Skiptonlass]

Utterly disgusting.

He's effectively saying "it doesn't matter if you abuse white girls because they're seen to be loose anyway."

and he's couching the terms of the effects so it relates to the "marriage ability' of the girls, I.e. Not the harm per se caused by child abuse, but the fact that it reduces their 'value' as a chattel that is immensely disturbing. It's effectively putting a bride price on a child.


And yes, hedgehogs 7 years (presumably he will not even serve the full term?) disgusting. Beyond disgusting.

[oldshilling]

It is victim blaming, the judges are effectively endorsing the view that the child's worth as a human being has been reduced by her abuser.

[StrawberryMouse]

I know it's a certain cultural attitude but the kind of views the judge is taking into consideration just seem like a disgusting way of looking at women to me.

[Lurkedforever1]

Yanbu. Judge is a tosser. I'm with hermione child sex abusers should just be executed.

[ghostyslovesheep]

the judge is a giant twat - what a shocker

[Southsearocks]

Omg! This is unbelievable! Abuse is abuse. Imagine how some of the children who've had cases heard before these judges are going to feel. "Sorry girls/boys, your abusers are going to get shorter sentences because it doesn't affect your life in the same way". What utter cobblers.

[Sunsoo]

Poor girls. I hope they are able to find peace with what has happened.

I think the judge probably thought that he was doing the right thing here, without thinking about the bigger picture. It was probably presented to him/her at the trial in a manner that made him/her make this decision.

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

The judge had two choices:-

1. To say what he said and the sentence stays at 7 years.
   
2. To say it isn't true and the sentence gets reduce. To 6 years maybe. Or 5.
   

I don't think wanting someone who abuses children locked up for as long as possible makes him a bad person. Possibly a bit naive - as will "it was a white girl so won't affect her marry able state" be used as mitigating in the future. But hopefully not.