Raping Asian girls worse than raping white girls because it 'harms their marriage prospects' :o

[OTheHugeManatee]

Link

A judge has just ruled that a man who raped Asian under-13s should receive a longer sentence, because the victims' families were now worried about their marriage prospects. In other words, damaging these girls' property value in the marriage 'market' actually counted in terms of assessing the damage done by raping them.

I think this is horrific. Not just because virginity should have no bearing on the value of a girl or woman, but also because implicitly it seems to support the notion that underlay the belief of the Rotherham rapists that white girls were 'trash' who could be abused freely because they were already devalued. Like it's OK to rape white girls because they have no trading value.

I get that feminism coexists quite uneasily with cultural diversity, and this is a very difficult area to navigate, but really feel like this needs a feminist response.

Perhaps we could start a petition.

All women and girls matter, as individuals and not as property. And all women and girls should be safe from rape and sexual abuse, not just the ones whose fathers want to sell them off on the marriage market.

It is fucking outrageous. It really is. And it makes it worse that a woman judge has bought into their bullshit as well.

I was raging when I saw this. Why is so-called "culture" such a sacred bloody cow? It seems to trump justice, fairness and common sense. I shudder when I hear the word - it's so often an excuse used to tolerate and appease the intolerable.

The decision manages to insult everyone - the Asian girl for "valuing" the meaningless concept of virginity and treating her as a commodity owned by her father, white girls for implicitly suggesting that rape is not such a big deal for them and white girls' parents for implicitly suggesting they wouldn't care as much about their daughters' distress as Asian parents. It also insults those Asian parents who genuinely love their daughters for themselves - not their saleability on the marriage market.

This judge has filled her Bingo card in one fell swoop.

Very well said, Manatee.

Agree op: will sign any petition set up.
I too feel like taking to the streets over this - absolutely disgusting.

Please create petition.
All parents should sign because reasoning in this case is just wrong!

(just thinking how children of atheist Asian parents would be treated)

OTheHugeManatee - so glad you started this thread - my jaw dropped a mile when I read this story. I too will sign any petition set up.

How dare anyone make such an insulting judgement.

Utterly sickened by this "judgment".

Completely agree with everyone I was utterly appalled when I read about this verdict wrong on many levels. Agree that it is totally sickening.
I will support a petition and share if anyone about to set up- it would be good to capture the very well wording arguements on this thread I'm sure there would be a lot of support.

I would be keen to sign a petition

I've posted that article on my fb page with a message. It's bloody outrageous :(.

I'm happy to have a go at creating a change.org, but can anyone help me draft a pithy feminist critique of the ruling? Not feeling very bright today

So far I have the following, but I think it could be tidied up. Any help appreciated

TEXT

Jamal Muhammed Rahim Al Nasir was handed a harsher sentence for raping two Asian girls, as the judge claimed that the girls would suffer greater psychological harm due to the 'shame' attached to their assault, and the impact it would have on their future marriage prospects within their cultural communities.

From the Yorkshire Post:

"Jamal Muhammed Raheem Ul Nasir was jailed for seven years at Leeds Crown Court in December after he was found guilty of abusing two girls, aged nine and 14, in Bradford. At the time, Judge Sally Cahill QC said that the fact the victims were Asian had been factored in as an “aggravating feature” when passing sentence. The decision was upheld at London’s Criminal Appeal Court.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “British justice should operate on a level playing field and children need to be protected irrespective of cultural differences. Regardless of race, religion, or gender, every child deserves the right to be safe and protected from sexual abuse, and the courts must reflect this."

We call for equality in the eyes of the law for the victims of rape and sexual assault, regardless of race, religion or culture. We further call for recognition that rape and sexual assault is an attack on the individual victim, not on her value as determined by her male relatives within a patriarchal marriage market. And we call for a recognition that rape is equally harmful regardless to its victims of cultural background; that there is no cultural or ethnic group that might be deemed by a judge to be 'less harmed' and thus implicitly 'more acceptable' to subject to rape and sexual assault.

That looks pretty much spot on to me, OTheH.

Can you separate out the last sentence, as that one seems to be the key, for me - I might put it in bold too, if you can do that.

Brilliant Manatee.

Very last paragraph you need to move the word 'regardless' I think?

And we call for a recognition that rape is equally harmful to its victims regardless of their cultural background;

I think that's better? Also not sure if should say 'its victims' or just 'victims' as its implies that rape is the criminal, not the rapist. (Sorry I may be over thinking a bit).

I'd try and split out your last paragraph so each 'we call for...' Stands out

Thanks folks, please keep comments/suggestions coming. Have nipped out for lunch/meetings but will rewrite a bit later.

Regarding who it should be addressed to, does it make sense to address it to the government, the appeal court, something else?

We call for equality in the justice system for all victims of rape and sexual assault, regardless of race, religion or culture.

We call for recognition that rape and sexual assault is an attack on the individual victim, not on the victim's value as determined by male relatives within a patriarchal marriage market.

We call for a recognition that rape is equally harmful to the victims regardless of their cultural background; that there is no cultural or ethnic group that might be deemed by a judge to be 'less harmed' and thus implicitly 'more acceptable' to be subject to rape and sexual assault.

I changed the above slightly but feel free to ignore. I think the very last point could be made a bit clearer but I'm struggling to find the right words today.

Isn't this whole judgement endemically racist? Making the presumption that Asian girls should only marry Asian men?

I'd be delighted to sign and share the above petition and I'm sure most of the people I know would.
Could get a lot of support (rightly so!).
There have unfortunately been some racist comments on my local paper's facebook page, though, which is annoying.

Dervel as grimble said it's a whole bingo card of offensive. The judge is an equal opportunities racist. She managed to insult Asian girls and parents and white girls and parents.

She is also giving substance to the myth that if a woman has had and enjoyed sex in the past well rape can't be that bad (ignoring of course that a 13 year old whether she is brown, black, white or sky blue-pink can't consent to sex)

Thanks Isabelle, makes more sense. For the last sentence, how about:

We call for a recognition that rape is equally harmful to rape victims, regardless of their cultural background. There is no cultural or ethnic group that is more or less harmed by rape. There is no cultural or ethnic group that is 'less harmed' and therefore, implicitly, 'more acceptable' to subject to rape and sexual assault.

We call for this racist judgement to be revoked and for all women to be equal in the eyes of the law when determining the harm inflicted and sentencing appropriate to rape and sexual assault.

Um, that's more than one final sentence now

So then the full text would be as follows. The point about equality in the eyes of the law is currently repeated but I think it's appropriate considering how fundamental that is to UK justice.

Text:

Jamal Muhammed Rahim Al Nasir was handed a harsher sentence for raping two Asian girls, as the judge claimed that the girls would suffer greater psychological harm due to the 'shame' attached to their assault, and the impact it would have on their future marriage prospects within their cultural communities.

From the Yorkshire Post:

"Jamal Muhammed Raheem Ul Nasir was jailed for seven years at Leeds Crown Court in December after he was found guilty of abusing two girls, aged nine and 14, in Bradford. At the time, Judge Sally Cahill QC said that the fact the victims were Asian had been factored in as an “aggravating feature” when passing sentence. The decision was upheld at London’s Criminal Appeal Court.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “British justice should operate on a level playing field and children need to be protected irrespective of cultural differences. Regardless of race, religion, or gender, every child deserves the right to be safe and protected from sexual abuse, and the courts must reflect this."

We call for equality in the eyes of the law for the victims of rape and sexual assault, regardless of race, religion or culture. We further call for recognition that rape and sexual assault is an attack on the individual victim, not on her value as determined by her male relatives within a patriarchal marriage market.

We call for a recognition that rape is equally harmful to rape victims, regardless of their cultural background. There is no cultural or ethnic group that is more or less harmed by rape. There is no cultural or ethnic group that is 'less harmed' and therefore, implicitly, 'more acceptable' to subject to rape and sexual assault.

We call for this racist judgement to be revoked and for all women to be equal in the eyes of the law when determining the harm inflicted and sentencing appropriate to rape and sexual assault.

YANBU. (I am Asian).
Unfortunately this crazy decision has just added fuel to racism.