Rapists jailed for just 40 months after judge says 11-year-old victim was 'willing'

[KRITIQ]

story here.

"Judge David Farrell QC jailed them both for just 40 months each as he accepted the claim that she was willing and looked "at least" 14."

Funny, but I thought 14 was still under the age of consent for sex with a 21 year old man, quite apart from the fact that how a girl or woman "looks" should NEVER be a justification for rape, full stop.

I despair.

I have nothing to add and agree with everything saf has written, tho stillactually building up my nerve to read your last post in full. This is sickening.

If we get views from people who'd think raping a child is defensible, can we let them stand? I think their points should be countered and people should see that others do think like this. Because despite all evidence I struggle to believe it.

Am I missing something? Can't we just start a thread in chat or news or evn aibu and put the same op?

Yep, we should could.

Brilliant post, SaF. You're on FIRE.

There is a thread on chat too

Swoons in awe at StealthPolarBear's intellect.

Then crawls away covered in embarrassment at having been funning away all day without thinking of that!

Fuming.

Watch out, seeker - too much funning makes you go blind

... and gives you curvarture of the spine. Fact.

I killed the other thread .
Somebody go and revive it - it was doing so well...

Oh my god - I thought this was an old thread.

Absolutely sickening.

Posting to bump.

Now I know this sounds lazy (sorry) but does anyone have a proforma letter/email I could copy/adapt?

I would like to do something/anything really.

Have also reported that post.

I clicked on this thread because I wanted to know if which part of the world this kind of attitude prevails. Imagine the shock when I realised it was here!

I agree with flippinada that if there was a proforma that everyone could just put their name to then a whole load more people would be enabled to protest.

I also agree with everyone that it is absolutely shocking and sickening that this is not on the national news / radio / TV etc. It should be news FFS

Pro-formas (that looks wrong) are at risk of being ignored. Just speak from your heart, with a bit of law stuck in there i.e. the relevant section from the SOA 2003 and the sentencing guidelines. Should I dig those out into one post?

I will, because Boulevard posted the first bit earlier and I have the other bookmarked.

Sexual Offences Act, 2003 Section 5.

"Rape of a child under 13

(1)A person commits an offence if?
(a)he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person with his penis, and
(b)the other person is under 13.

(2)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life."

From the sentencing guidelines

2A.3 For the rape of a child under 13 where there are no aggrevating factors, a starting point of 10 years is recommended, rising to 13 years for cases involving any of the aggregating factors identified in the guideline.

Both of those documents are well worth reading and absorbing in order to easily counteract nonsense about rape on the internet and irl. If any of you do, I am sure you sure you will find that these rapists also committed other SOA crimes for which they should be sentenced.

But spell aggravating correctly if you do write...

i am writing to my MP, thank you for publicising this.

I remember reading of a case like this in Backlash. How fucking terrible it is still happening. I am actually speechless.

Thank you very much AyeRobot.

I will be writing to my MP. Where who else is apt to contact?. Want to direct things where they will have most impact.

Thanks (if that's the right word in this situation) also KRITIQfor raising awareness of this.

Has anyone thought of linking in to Avaaz/38 degrees? Might be worth trying.

It makes an absolute mockery of claims that First World women have achieved equality. Lots of things do. And until we have equality - of justice, of representation, of opportunity - then women in the rest of the world will not have the support of those with the power to make things happen.

That is so upsetting.
Poor girl.

You have to be really thoughtless or really full of hatred and callousness to not see how that would actually play out in real life.
I don't think a judge can be thoughtless, in the sense of NOT THINKING the scenario through.

That leaves callous. He has to believe that eleven year olds are routinely sexual, it's part of an eleven year olds personality. Or worse, that they're not, but just handy receptacles for any fucker wandering by with an itch to scratch and a few minutes to kill.

I'll repost this on the chat thread.

I have asked mumsnet to put this on "Discussions of the Day" and to move it to the "news" threads on MN.

MumsnetHQ is reluctant, for some reason which escapes me, to move it, Nigellasguest. Hope you have mor success.

Have they given a reason? I'll let you know if they message me back...

No. Just that they think it's in the right place. Presumably because the sentencing of an 11 year old's rapist is a feminist issue?