MNHQ here - should we support the campaign to end ‘rough sex’ defences?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello

As lots of you will already know because their campaign originated on Mumsnet, the group We Can’t Consent To This has been running a campaign to end ‘rough sex’ defences - and we’d like to know what you think about MNHQ signing up as a supporter of their
campaign.

Their aim is to end a situation in which defendants can claim that the death of or injury to a woman was caused by ‘consensual sex games gone wrong’.

They say:

‘We’ve now found 60 UK women who’ve been killed by men who claim a sex game gone wrong - and in the last 5 years the defence was successful in 7 of the 17 killings of a woman which reached trial, with the man being found not guilty or receiving a manslaughter conviction. We've found many more women injured in what the accused men claim was consensual sexual violence.
Yet more women tell us it’s now commonplace to be assaulted and abused by men they’re dating, with 38% of UK women under 40 reporting being assaulted - choked, slapped, gagged or spat on - in otherwise consensual sex. That equates to 3.6 million women under 40 in the UK who have experienced unbidden violence in sex - and we know that women over 40 experience this too.
We do not believe that women can consent to their grievous injury or death, and will campaign until claiming this is no longer a useful defence.’
We Can’t Consent To This is currently lobbying to tackle these ‘rough sex defences’ by adding amendements to the Domestic Abuse Bill that is going through Parliament, meaning that now is the time to get writing to MPs to encourage them to support the changes.

We'd love to get behind this campaign but as ever we said we’d ask you what you thought - so please let us know by adding your thoughts here or voting YANBU for ‘Yes please I’d like Mumsnet to support this campaign’ and YABU for ‘No, I don’t think Mumsnet should support this campaign’. (Apologies for using the AIBU metric for this but it’s the best way we have at the moment to get a snapshot survey of people who’ve read the OP.)

Big thanks

[corlan]

Please do. I have 2 daughters and I fear for them.

[Taswama]

Absolutely

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

Yes! I'm quite shocked there are any YABU votes tbh.

[BlankTimes]

Yes please, do back this campaign.

Currently at 244 votes 96%

Of the 4% who disagree, hopefully it's because they pressed the wrong button by mistake. If not, we're all ears.

[Oxyiz]

Can't vote on app but 100% yes

[OhHolyJesus]

Yes
Yes
Yes

[OneFootintheRave]

Yes!

[GibbertyFlibbet]

Yes, definitely.

[Socrates11]

Yes. This needs to stop. No-one consents to their own murder.

[Elocampane]

Yes, definitely

[JazzyJelly]

Yes, excellent idea.

[WhatWouldChristineCagneyDo]

You even need to ask? Why WOULDN'T you support it ?

[egfd2557]

Yes please add your support to the campaign, this is so important for women

[SparklingLime]

Yes, and please include the effect of violent porn use more generally. Especially on young people who have grown up with it. Heartbreaking harmful effects.

[CaraDune]

Yes, please, please support "We can't consent to this." Behind you 100% on this one.

[Herja]

Yes!

[Thelnebriati]

Yes, absolutely.
I'm sick of seeing comments on SM that 'its already illegal' or 'covered by existing legislation', and I agree its the escalating violence in porn thats brought us to this point.

[AlwaysTawnyOwl]

Yes

[FloatOn]

Yes, yes and yes, this is an important campaign that needs support, of the people who disagreed I really hope they just pressed the wrong button.

[C0RA]

Yes

[IrenetheQuaint]

Yes

[BaronessRadishFemish]

Yes. Strange question tho..

What were you expecting Mumsnet? That it'd be a close call?

[EchidnasPhone]

Yes!!!

[InAGarden]

Yes, yes, yes.

[RinderTinderNotRinderGrinder]

Yes. This is so very important