Rape decriminalised in Scotland

'If you would like to get in touch with the Sexual Offences Review Team about something within the scope of the Sexual Offences Review:

• You can contact the team by email at [email protected]
• You can call the team's dedicated number on 0300 020 3832
• You can also text the team on 07341 515046

The team will aim to answer your calls wherever possible but if they are not available, please leave a message. The team will respond as soon as possible and always within two working days.
The team will ask what you want to talk to them about.
Tell the Sexual Offences Review Team about your experiences

You can tell the Sexual Offences Review Team about your experiences, as long as you are not involved as a victim, witness or accused person in an ongoing case. Talking to us will help us to build a picture about how things could be better dealt with.

It may be difficult for you to tell us about your experiences. The Sexual Offences Review Team will carefully listen to you and do our best to support you when you are talking to us. We want you to feel safe when you speak to us.

You might need support to help you to give us information. If someone is already giving you support, or has supported you in the past, you might want to talk to them. They may also be able to help you through the process of speaking to us. If you do not have support already, the Sexual Offences Review Team will be able to provide you with a list of outside support services.

By talking to us you will help us make recommendations to ensure the process for prosecution of sexual offences in Scotland is better in the future.
What the Sexual Offences Review team cannot do

The Sexual Offences Review Team cannot:

• discuss ongoing cases with you, if you are a victim, witness or accused person,
• deal with complaints about COPFS
• deal with victims’ right to review prosecutorial decisions
• take a report of a crime
• provide clinical services to victims of crime
• re-investigate completed cases.'

Does that last para mean we can contact them about this case in the OP, or not? Does it count as 'completed'?

Thanks, mathanxiety.

Bloody hell:

'The Sexual Offences Review recognises the profound impact that sexual crimes have on victims and on society and the fact that, in recent years, sexual offences have become about 70 per cent of the casework of Scotland’s High Court prosecutors and the number of cases has further increased in 2022.'

https://www.copfs.gov.uk/about-copfs/sexual-offences-review/

(bold mine).

No green card needed for a sports scholarship. He would have a student visa.

But he has very likely fallen foul of NCAA rules.

What can be done?

Find out his identity and what university he's headed to in the US and barrage their athletic director as well as the head coach of their soccer program with details of the crime. Send details to the campus women's center and security department too.

While he hasn't been found guilty, there was clearly sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial, and there seems to be general horror at the miscarriage of justice that has occurred here.

The NCAA has rules about the personal conduct of student athletes.

I think you may be right:

'Legal issues

You are required to disclose any criminal record on Form I-485, and you must bring documentation with you to your interview if you have any such history. You might be asked questions such as:

• Have you ever been arrested?
• Have you ever committed a crime without being charged?'

https://brudnerlaw.com/immigration-interview-questions/

Finding a political party in the UK that doesn't want to be soft on crime is difficult.

Use your vote if you have one.
Vote this insanity into the bin. Never forget the utter morons that did this. Never give them another chance.

He will be known in his local community.

If he is under the age of 18 isn't his juvenile record sealed so people can't see it? His name hasn't been published so the authorities in the US aren't going to know. He will just lie to gain entry.

US universities don't have a good track record of dealing with campus rape anyway. It tends to take the form of victim blaming and sweep it under the rug in case it scares off applicants and donors. If it happens on campus the campus police deal with it not the regular police department. Quite often the victim has to continue going to classes and living in the same hall of residence as the attacker. A student valued for their sports prowess can bring literally millions into their university in ticket sales for games and in souvenirs. The university isn't going to let that cash cow be hauled off in the back of a police car without some significant push back.

Hoardasurass · Today 16:03

He has no record for this crime it's part of the diversion programme when he does it again it won't be there, this isn't like a speeding course where you have to admit guilt!

He may still fall foul of American immigration laws, I'm fairly sure that the application asks if the applicant has ever been arrested. If he tells the truth, they will want to be given the details. If he lies and it comes out, he'll be deported, at the very least.

To be clear, he is an alleged rapist. There was no trial.

He will remain an 'alleged' rapist. I'm not sure that's really the win the justice system seem to think it is.

@ArabeIIaScott thank you. I can't imagine any U. S college or football team wanting to be associated with a rapist. I'm sure they must have be tipped off.

It's not been decided yet.

'At the conclusion of the intervention, which usually lasts three months, justice social work submit a completion report to COPFS. The alleged attacker in this case is understood to have his case reviewed this month after which a decision will be made if he can go to the US to take up the football scholarship.'

It’s definitely the ‘progressive’ politics of the SNP.

This is actually what they think good looks like.

It’s nothing to do with his family connections. This kind of outcome has been enshrined in law by the “progressive” politics of the SNP.

That’s awful. It’s all in the rape-culture ‘you can’t let one mistake ruin this promising young man’s life’ playbook, isn’t it?

Aye - meanwhile his ‘one wee mistake’ has impacted his victim’s life for ever.

Progressive Scotland?

Aye it is. If you aren’t an actual woman.

I know what you mean his name isn't cleared but how the hell is he going to America on a scholarship... So many factors surrounding a scholarship, behavior is a major one. Surely they will have to be notified.

Surely to gain access to America this needs to be made known to the relevant authorities. Also the college would need to be aware. Football scholarships are like gold dust. Another deserving boy missing out.
That poor girl, it's absolutely horrifying to think he's walking free.
Hope US immigration & the college get wind of this.

Jesus Christ. Rape is now considered a low level offense in Scotland? What do I tell my 3 Scottish DDs? And how many teenage rapists go on to never rape again and become nice women respecting men? I bet it’s not many. This pisses me off in so many ways.

https://www.writetothem.com/

Very handy way to write to your representatives.

I think this may not end up being in the best interests of the boy/man involved, either. His name isn't cleared. He will have this hanging over him for the rest of his life.

People will end up meting out vigilante justice if this continues.

And vigilantes don't tend to follow the letter of the law 🙄

They likely haven’t the faintest clue about any of it.

Scottish policy so I'm planning to write to my MSP & my regional MSPs - I can't imagine that writing to your MP would do any harm though!

How can the college accept him knowing that he has this hanging over him. Why isn't his scholarship withdrawn?