Gazza sexual assault trial

Disgusting. Sexual or not it was still an assault.

I mat be imagining it but I thought there was still an assault charge in play. I’ll try to see.

The prosecution made an error going for a sexual assault charge. They should have gone for assault. We kiss friends and family members and our own children so kissing on it's own isn't a sexual act as such.

He invaded her private space, made contact and she felt threatened. That is assault or intent to assault. He may well have been found guilty of that. She's been let down by the prosecution. Notice as well that this was a criminal case? No money grabber or 15 minutes of fame going on here. If that was the case, she'd have gone for a civil case. I don't doubt she was feeling on edge after this happened, I think she did the right thing reporting it. It's really not ok to go around kissing strangers on the lips and dare I say it, more so lone women on a train with not much options to leave the situation

Well her solicitor then. The police. I think she would have got more sympathy.

She doesn’t make the decision on what he’s charged with ffs!

Perhaps she should have gone for assault and not sexual assault. I have to say sexual assault to me means fondling, groping or worse, possibly this is how the jury thought.

You mean like this Sheriff who let a sex abuser of a 6 year old girl off with no criminal record or even going on the sex offenders register TooLateThePhalarope ? ?

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/sheriff-who-teen-child-abuser-13941254

You can blame the much lauded English right to trial by a jury of your peers for this result. In Scotland this would have been heard in front of a Sheriff only and very likely he would have been found guilty.

Oh of course we are not allowed to talk just about sexual assault on women

We have to talk about how men are sexually assaulted too

Even though the crime is overwhelmingly committed by men against women (and girls)

Not just men though, I've seen drunken girls kissing and groping men. There was a time when some places bared hen parties because of their behaviour.

Great a man decides if a women should feel she has been sexually assaulted or not

When do we WOMEN get to decide

Same old shit

What an appalling verdict. Does anyone know whether the judge gave any directions? I cannot believe that on the evidence that has been publicised, a not guilty verdict was arrived at.

She didn't want to be kissed by him, yet she's just been told that her wishes are irrelevant.

Grand.

This
Unbelievable verdict

And this is pretty much why I don't think juries are appropriate for sexual offences.

It leads to totally bogus judgements. Juries can decide they just didn't want to convict this guy because they liked him. Or because they disliked the victim. Or because they're a bunch of misogynistic fuckwits.

And then people crow about justice being done and predatory men being "found innocent".

Utter utter bullshit.

Extract from the coverage in the Times

The woman told the court that she had not heard any such taunts being made, describing the kiss as “forceful”.
The jury cleared Mr Gascoigne of sexual assault after accepting his defence that his actions were not motivated by sexual gratification of any sort....
The jury was shown a montage of images of Mr Gascoigne kissing various people including Princess Diana, the footballers Wayne Rooney and Ally McCoist, and the comedian Russell Brand. The boxer Ricky Hatton told the court that Mr Gascoigne was a “larger than life” character who was known for being tactile.
Michelle Heeley, QC, defending, told jurors that while the former footballer had kissed a woman who did not like it, that did not make him a sex offender. She said the kiss lasted two or three seconds, was on a packed train, and was not preceded by any “lecherous comment”, touching or groping

So there we have it - permission for every creep to assault women in the full knowledge that there are barristers out there who can convince juries that this is not sexual.

Oops - I meant to add "couldn't have put it better."

She didn't want to be kissed by him, yet she's just been told that her wishes are irrelevant.

Grand.

I too am enraged by this.

So all those groups of drunken yobs on the train that gravitate towards a lone female and don't leave her alone can now do what they like to her and then say "it's not sexual, she's fat, I don't fancy her, I was just trying to make her feel better". And our justice system agrees that it fine.

s78 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003:

”touching or any other activity is sexual if a reasonable person would consider that –

whatever its circumstances or any person’s purpose in relation to it, it is because of its nature sexual, orbecause of its nature it may be sexualand because of its circumstances of the purpose of any person in relation to it (or both) it is sexual.”

I couldn't believe this verdict, are there any criminal lawyers posting who can shed some light on how kissing her on the mouth against her will wasn't sexual assault? Can 'i didn't fancy her, I was trying to make her feel better' seriously constitute a successful defence argument against sexual assault? I am stunned if so.

Fatshedra
I don't think she can appeal - she was a witness for the prosecution and evidently a jury believed his (female) barrister who argued that kissing a stranger on the lips was not a sexual assault.
Why on earth should women put themselves through all the stress and humiliation of appearing in court when juries condone this behaviour. It's appalling. That poor woman - not only was she sexually assaulted by this gross individual but she had to see him grandstanding outside the court about all the stress this caused him.

So, if she had punched him in the nuts, would that be assault or sexual assault? Because that is what I would have done.

The whole thing has been bloody depressing. I can't believe we are listening to defence statements like 'he's just tactile'.

Whether or not he had any sexual intention, it was a sexual assault.

I don't know what's worse. The verdict, or the comments afterwards. Like:

'This metoo movement has gone too far, you can't even look at a woman now'

'Good. Now prosecute the woman'

'Stupid money grabbing slag, after her 5 minutes of fame'

And such like.

It's too depressing to read any more.

What with that and the rape case in Aiya Napa. I just despair.

I hope the woman appeals - being slobbered over by a drunk middle aged git sounds pretty horrific to me.

She didn't want to be kissed by him, yet she's just been told that her wishes are irrelevant

And in other news ...

Caroline Farrell and Kate Scottow are facing up to 6 months in gaol for "misgendering" a transwoman.

Because that is literal violence. As opposed to sexual harassment of actual women which isn't criminal at all.