Rape - what sentence do you think it deserves?

[Avalon]

How about a minimum sentence of 5 years with complimentary sack and crack wax?

Tamba-v good post back there!

My mum was raped by three men when she was in her teens in a dark,South London wood. Her mum didn't believe her-the police didn't believe her-her attackers were never found!

This is a sensitive subject!

Her scars are mentally deep.

Thanks dropinthe took a hell of a long time to be able to think rationally about it though.

and thanks for the info Cod

I don't know. I do know 3 years is risible for gang rape. I think if a sentence is set for something as serious as rape then that sentence should be served (as in the bombing man's case - he was sentenced to six, out after three).

I'm not sure of any sentence is actually a deterrant to a would-be rapist. Does someone who intends to rape actually stop and think "ah, but I may get caught - and serve 3 years, 10 years, life...best not do it then"? I'd like to think that's the case but I seriously doubt it.
But I would be reassured if there was some way of ensuring that a convicted rapist would never be released until it was certain he was no longer a danger to anyone. Too many times I've read of rapists serving their time (or in many case being released early), getting out, and doing it again within weeks sometimes. Bad enough to be raped - but to be raped by someone who had done it before, and had been let out after a ludicrously short time in prison?

But I don't know what the answer is.

Just a thought, if it's not about sex but violence and power, etc, then why is castration always bandied about as a punishment?

Surely if a man hated either himself or women so much that he'd attempt to harm them in this way then if that wasn't an option he'd just find another way.

I'm not sure BTW, but I feel it has to be a little - or even alot - about sex as well as the other things mentioned. When people say it's not about sex I just don't get it. It's become a meaningless platitude. And I'm sure the victim would disagree.

I agree monkey - while I think rape is about violence and power, it's definitely about sexual violence and power. And sadly, even a man who had been castrated could still do a lot of damage to a woman if that violent, sexual urge was still there. I don't think castration removes that urge, does it?

Too right, drop. Come a long way, T.

sorry X posts.

((((( Hub2Dee )))))

I can never ever thank you enough.

You thank me by being yourself every day, and you thank others by following the vocation you've chosen !

Good luck with everything !

Or, as you might say () 'love and light' XXX

yes, but stoneing to death will remove all urges.

lol - Love and Light straight back at ya!

IMO if found guilty of rape there should be tougher sentences
with added violence, top-up on the sentence so they run on top not concurrently as what usually happens

Agree totally that a women is violated etc

but also would like to see

tougher sentences on women who "cry" rape

I know someone who was raped after being given rophynol and the bastard got off with it.

I also know someone who had a one night stand and was accused of rape, he is now a broken man.He was cleared of any wrong doing.

I don't think there are very many women who do falsely accuse people of rape, though the non-conviction rate makes it look as if there are.

Borderline cases are very probably women who feel violated but aren't sure. How can a woman attempt to articulate such a worry and not be accused of crying rape? It's an incredibly sensitive area and due to the increasing prevalence of alcohol one that generally suits the defence as the inconsistencies mount up. This leads back into the 'women are more vulnerable when drunk' debate as they're more vulnerable in court too.

you can't punish women who cry rape. enough guilty men are found not guilty as it is, if the victims risked prosecution for "crying rape" it would be even worse.

mt - there might not be very women who do that, but there are some, and that fact alone does make it difficult to convict a rapist.

Yes, I agree but it reveals the level of latent misogyny in our institutions that it's given so much credence, when far more men lie about not raping women.

but nobody can say that for sure can they?

I must admit, in my narrow experience, the only time anyone has confided to me about a rape was a falsly accused man incident (and he really was - obv won't give details).

But if we're to go by conviction rates (and I'll have to estimate, if someone knows the stats can they post them please ) which are vastly disproportionate to the rates of cases coming to court, it paints a picture of endemic female duplicity. And really, I have to challenge that or at least flag it up as an anomaly.

I think the 'some people falsely cry rape' thing is a bit of a red herring here. After all, going to the police, being examined vaginally, havng photographs taken, giving a statement, standing up in court to be cross examined about the incident in question and, possibly, your whole character/love and sex life is hardly a picnic. And it's statistically fairly unlikely to end in conviction. In fact, look at this article - rape is a low risk crime, with a low conviction rate - 5% on average. And then even if you DO go through all this and get a conviction, it's very likely to be low. I just googled and got 'sentencing can be as low as 180 hours community service.' for RAPE? It's that insignificant and it's outrageous. And anyone who doesn't think we live in a misogynistic society should consider those figures.

It hasn't happened to me but damn nearly (someone I knew, trying to force me and I managed to escape, I was 18) and the reaction of my boyfriend at the time was "you must have asked for it." I hadn't but I got the message at a very young age that this may well be the response you get as a woman to totally abhorrent and unacceptable behaviour by a man.

I agree WWW, being in court (for me) was almost as huniliating as the assult itelf - at least there wasnt a judge, jury, and a gallery of spectators witnessing that. I dont understand why questions such as "when did you becone sexually active" and " do you enjoy sex" have any bearing on the events but what can you do about it?

Is no wonder more women dont report it.

gobsmacked at 180 hrs community service
where is the justice in this country

I think it's extremely dangerous to talk about punishing women for "crying rape". The conviction rate for rape is tiny. Does anyone really believe that that is because most women who make a claim that they were raped are lying? I don't.

But if we decided to punish them for not being able to persuade a jury to convict, then I can see us going back to the days when women were afraid to go to the police even when the evidence was pretty good. A friend of mine was raped in the sixties, on the moors outside Manchester, by a work colleague from whom she'd accepted a lift - just an ordinary guy with whom she'd had perfectly civil, friendly but not romantic relations. When she arrived home, sobbing, bruised and bloody, she was told to get in the bath and stop showing everyone up in front of the neighbours. The idea of calling the police was not even considered - what for? So the neighbours could gossip?

I don't think any of us would want to go back to that atmosphere, but really, talk of punishing women for the fact that juries are reluctant to convict nice normal guys of rape, would take us back there.

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