To think the result of this rape trial is disgusting

[joystir59]

Man gets off completely Scot=free for raping a 12 year old girl, and that this result gives such a wrong message to men, in a world in which girls are never considered too young anyway. I'm enraged!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39305042

I can fill in the gaps about the spoilt boy man. He was in all probability a drunk, stupid 19 year old. Nothing unusual.

My sympathy and concern and worry are for the 12 year old out on her own at 4 in the morning. I worry, she has been educated in how to pass for 18. I worry about other life choices she may be making. I want her to be able to make sure she stays safe and I worry she is not making those choices.

I'm pretty sure I read in one article her and her friend (12 &13) told the man they were in fact 16 &17 when he asked them to a party that night.
I'm not saying it was right, that they should've had sex but I can't help but feel if my 12 year old daughter came home and told her sister she had sex with a guy whilst out, that she wanted to have sex with said man and she lied about her age so said man believed he was not committing rape if be absolutely devastated that A) this had happened and B) my daughter had lied about her age before sleeping with a man.
It's terrible but I have to say I don't think he should be jailed for it.

You are such an irascible chap aren't you Mousse?

One would think you are not taking this seriously.

in the USA, there is a strict U25 age policy
Supermarkets here have quite a strict U25 policy here as well. I know many under 25's getting asked for photo ID in ASDA and being refused if they dont have it.

But we dont yet have a requirement to produce photo ID before you are allowed to have sex.

Elendon

Are you a supplier?

Don't worry I work closely with the police. A lot of the young people I work with feel sorry for my boring life. They will offer to "slip me some bluies" (Viagra) to help my weekend get off to a good start.

Sadly I have to decline.

Elendon - I take it very seriously, it's my job too.

My sympathy and concern and worry are for the spoilt boy man.

Fixed that for you Mousse

I have worked in several large, urban secondary schools.

I have never got a yr7 mixed up with a yr11.

The yr 11s NEVER hang out with the yr7s.

The way I teach yr7s is different to the way I teach yr11s, because they are different. Really, really different. Even the yr7 girls who act older. Different.

I'd have considerably more sympathy for the man involved if his actions suggested he gave much of a shit about her age. But he picked her up in a taxi rank. Like a fun little afterthought to his evening.

She, according to newspapers "told him" she was 16 - so, what, did he ask? If so, he had doubts. Or did she volunteer the info, in which case why weren't massive alarms going off in his head?

It beggars belief, really, that so many people on here are ferociously defending him.

funny you do not know what 'kind' of 12 year olds I know. I know many. I also know police attitudes to 12 year olds who are runaways/neglected/being trafficked. I can quite believe not enough due care and attention was paid by the police to another young drunk girl out on the street at 4am. And how it is in THEIR best interests to affirm that she looked 16+

Elendon I'm puzzled as to the point you are making by altering my words.

My sympathy and concern and worry are for the spoilt boy man

I think focusing on one individual absolves society of the wider responsibility. We need to look at each other not point a finger at him.

Anna I once got chastised by a police officer for being "too kind" towards a 12 year old they brought directly to school, after she'd run away from a care placement and had been put all night.

Apparently an arm around her shoulder and a chat about how she was and the offer of a hot chocolatier was inappropriate and I should have been sterner.

*out all night

funny, what do you mean by 'posters of your ilk'?

I think focusing on one individual absolves society of the wider responsibility.

Yet Mousse you wrote:
My sympathy and concern and worry are for the 12 year old out on her own at 4 in the morning. I worry, she has been educated in how to pass for 18. I worry about other life choices she may be making. I want her to be able to make sure she stays safe and I worry she is not making those choices.

I'd have considerably more sympathy for the man involved if his actions suggested he gave much of a shit about her age. But he picked her up in a taxi rank. Like a fun little afterthought to his evening.

She, according to newspapers "told him" she was 16 - so, what, did he ask? If so, he had doubts. Or did she volunteer the info, in which case why weren't massive alarms going off in his head?

It beggars belief, really, that so many people on here are ferociously defending him

100% agree, smile.

I can imagine smile

I've known police refuse to remove a 13 year old from a known crack den, because 'she will only go back again'

I also know police attitudes to 12 year olds who are runaways/neglected/being trafficked
Ironic and insulting comment since the Police who came into contact with the girl were actively searching for an underage girl who had been reported missing. The spoke to the girl in this case for some time but did not have any concerns about her age.

And however many 12 year olds you know you do not know the girl in this case so are not able to comment on whether someone should have known/guessed her true age.

I think focusing on one individual absolves society of the wider responsibility

That is a ridiculous pov

How the fuck is he a victim

I dont get it

Sympathy...meh....fair enough

A victim!!!!

Since when did the police admit to making a mistake?

Can someone please point this out to me?

Do YOU know the Girl clown? Why are you dismissing my opinion because I don't know this girl?

More to the point...Do you know the man?

I have no need to know the man in order to feel pity for him, I've got enough compassion to feel sorry for both the girl and the man and, as someone said above, to view them both as victims.

I feel really sorry for a girl who has entered the adult world so early and yet doesn't even know enough about that world to take basic precautions against pregnancy and std's

I feel sorry for the man caught up in a horrific situation and the trauma of going through the Police investigation and Court process.

In response to an earlier comment perhaps picking up "tipsy girls" in a taxi rank is a bad idea in general for both parties Bd many reasons.

And for clarity at no point in the judges sentencing comments does it clearly say she even told him she was 16. "You understood from chatter in the taxi"

So at the point they got in the taxi he hadn't even thought about age.

The offence of rape of a young child says penetration either deliberate or reckless.

The more I have reflected on this the more issue I have with the comments fro the judge re consent actually.

and yet doesn't even know enough about that world to take basic precautions against pregnancy and std's

That should be a joint responsibility and not one foisted on women and girls solely.

Clown

That's interesting rj - where are you reading the sentencing comments?