AIBU to think rape is now legal in the UK?

Also sufficient support is needed out there for victims. As my attacker didn't get convicted, didn't even go to court, I lost a lot of friends as they all sided with him. I felt like utter shit, people thought I had made it up and I didn't know how to deal with that

This was on top of dealing with the PTSD that the attack left me with. I asked my GP for help but there wasn't anything available. She directed me to a charity which could only offer support so far.

What does the vast MN users think should be done?

A victim should be treated with empathy and helped. I had all my electronic devices and my house (the attack happened at a hotel room not my home) searched by the police. I felt violated by them as well as my attacker. The questions I was asked very inappropriate and again I felt sick at what I was asked to go into detail.

A woman officer should be available if the victim wants a woman to be investigating and leading the case.

Rapes and sexual assaults should be in the public interest to pursue, I don't understand why they aren't always.

What makes Evidence suitable for a conviction should be the same across all crimes.

Well yeah obviously. Unfortunately it's not a perfect world we live .

I meant to increase the conviction rate.

Anything constructive to say on that?

There's massive failings in the system and I'm shocked at what doesn't count as evidence in rape cases.

When I was sexually assaulted, I had cctv evidence of him entering my room (so he couldn't deny being there). I had evidence of the drugs within my blood stream (so I wasn't in a suitable state to consent). I also had a text from him and various other people where he had confirmed his actions (so admittance by him!). But apparently none of that would stand up in a court and it wasn't in the public interest to pursue.

What does the vast MN users think should be done?

@Hellsmovie Call me radical but the men who rape could grow a spine and stop raping.

Legal, especially if the rapist is a copper.

Exactly my point. But the government attitude is not matching the reality (again).

It’s been de facto legal for many years. We have a legal system that still judges women for things like the way they dress or having sexual relationships with other people to the extent that that apparently ‘proves’ they may have consented. It’s like we’re still living in the 1950s.

For those saying it's just too difficult to prove - yes it is difficult to prove, but there are failures in the system that are making the conviction rates far worse than they need to be. Rates have got much worse over the last few years. There is excellent explanation in the link that @TooBigForMyBoots posted.

https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/news/the-distressing-truth-is-that-if-you-are-raped-in-britain-today-your-chances-of-seeing-justice-are-slim/

Course it's not legal. It's very difficult to prosecute yes because we live in a country where you are innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
Of course that makes it difficult to prosecute, it's often one person's word against anothers.
Would you want your innocent son going to prison for something he didn't do? It's really not straightforward.

Probably because a lot are going unreported, because women know it's virtually pointless.

Rape seems to be the only crime where the victim is more or less on trial..the pervading attitudes of a lot of men and the police are heavily weighted, it seems to me, to disbelieving women e.g. a lot of them believe that false accusations are rife.
Then recently we've had the whole revolting 'rough sex' defense for murder. The idea that anyone could get away with that is just awful.

That is why I think the Corrie storyline isnt going to get a conviction. If it does it isnt real life.

Given the prevalence of violent, abusive misogynistic men on the police - see recent report on the Met - rape victims are rightly unwilling to trust the police.

See also the reports of “sex regret” and other myths about rape many police officers hold.

Then the vanishingly low numbers actually charged.

Then the over 4 year wait for court time.

Of that 1.4% of reported rapes that are charged, Raab claims roughly 68% get a conviction, so about 0.8% of reported rapes.

From a rapist point of view, it’s as near legal as damn it.

What does the vast MN users think should be done?

Believe all the accusers without investigating ?
bias female only jury's?

Unfortunately It's just one of those things that's hard to prove.

It is just not true that it's an impossibly difficult crime to prove. This is a popular myth.

Look at the work that's been done in this area - it repeatedly identifies the same problems:

• insufficient numbers of specialist teams (something like 20% of police forces don't have a specialist rape or sexual assault team; those that do don't have them 24/7)
• inadvertent incentives for police to discontinue, citing insufficient evidence (because the CPS, in a well intentioned reform, require a full file of evidence before charging decisions made rather than a police assessment like other crimes)
• loss of trained and experienced officers over last ten years and over reliance on new young ones
• cutbacks in forensic services
• misogynistic attitudes of police officers
• lack of social and mental health support for victims
• long waits to trial due to courts backlog

That's just to cite a few. We don't need to wring our hands and give up, we could actually invest in services so one of the worst crimes that can be committed isn't effectively decriminalised

More to the point some rapists/abusers are having the matter dealt with by means of community resolution ( I think that is what it's called). In other words they say sorry and that's it. So, rape a woman, say sorry and that's it. I don't think it's even recorded as a crime IYSWIM.

Has anyone seen the Jodie Comer play Prima facie?

We watched it in cinema and on national theatre at home.

It is incredible and heartbreaking but about all the things this thread is about. It is so good.

Rape is not legal in the UK and in my opinion it should remain illegal.

Conviction rates are so low because it's a difficult thing to prove. Our legal system requires proof beyond reasonable doubt and it's hard to prove a sexual encounter was rape because there are rarely any witnesses.

Every time there's an Eleanor Williams it makes it more likely that genuine victims will not be believed.

As far as rapists are concerned yes, they can get away with it Scott free. It’s scary for women and those of us with daughters. Mind you, if anyone touched my girls I’d happily go down for meting out my own justice.

That was my point. The government thinks everything is fine, so why make changes.

Raab let women know where they stand with that comment. Unprotected and alone.

The last time I was raped I didn't even bother reporting it.

What's the point when the Police are more likely to be rapists than to get rapists into court?

YANBU. Rape has effectively been decriminalized in the UK.

Just like possession of cannabis was. Technically illegal, but the police turn a blind eye and the CPS doesn't put cases forward.