Man walks free from court after statutory rape

[AssassinatedBeauty]

Saw this news case today, and am not sure what I think:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39305042

I feel that it gives the message that it's ok for men not to worry about the age of girls/women they have sex with if they have reasonable grounds to believe they're 16+.

Oh and in 2013 a judge called a 13 year old a 'sexual predator, and gave a 41 year old a suspended sentence.

I remember that one nancy

Fucking awful

I feel it does set a precedent, though i agree the Judge genuinely thought he was not culpable.

There are some girls who at 11 and 12 are physically extremely mature looking, especially with make-up on but they are just as vulnerable. Are all those girls now fair game for seduction induced consensual sex?

I am not convinced by "police officers" who thought they looked older: given how police officers were at Rotherham, etc, they would wouldn't they? The girls were young enough to wonder about, and worry about, wandering about late at night and at 4 in the morning surely? And they had been drinking. I am sure they did not behave as though they had not been.

These is an example of girls who were considered 'fair game' who shouldn't have been.

Ok. Fine. Regulate women's sexuality more that society does because of this case. Teach men not to believe what women tell them because of this case.

If he'd spoken to her for more than about 5 mins before he stuck his dick in, he might have noticed she was younger.

Oblomov - There are no details. About him. Or her. Had she had sex before? We know not.

Do you mean had other men abused her before this man did? Catch on to yourself, she was a 12 y/o child!

Intent?

Everyone said she looked 16, if not 20. She told him she was 16.

She can't give consent because she's under age. But a lot of her other behaviour that night 'suggests' she was old enough to give consent. She wasn't of course. But was he to know that?

Is certainly a complex case.

Oblomov17

You don't think it should be a crime in every case so obviously you think the under 13 thing is too old.

So answer the question. What age? Or should we just get rid of the idea all together? Abolish the age of consent?

Yep cos this thread is absolutely going to make massive changes in the law

Leading to the regulating of womens sexuality and men assuming that women lie

Because thats the power of mumsnet

How would it regulate women's sexuality? A couple of posters have said that. I'm not sure how it disproportionately affect women rather than men.

We aren't talking about regulating women's sexuality. We are asking that adult men show due care and attention to children and not rape them.

She was 12 not a woman. She doesn't have a "sexuality".

Hmm well the police obviously took even less care and attention then, as they had absolutely no concerns on the night

The police do sometimes, have no concerns where they should.

She told him she was 16 and her friend was 17.

Yes. He trusted the word of someone that he'd just met and ended up pleading guilty to raping a child. Apparently some people think that's an acceptable price to pay for sexual freedom. Personally I think it would be better if adults have a little bit more consideration to the issue of consent, perhaps even missing out on the odd ONE in order to be perfectly sure that the other person was able to consent.

No one wants to discuss her previous sexual
History.

Ok.

I don't know if she had any. God I hope Not, but then I would have hoped she didn't have sex with him that night, aswell.

No it's not complicated. It's not hard to manage to not have sex with children by mistake.

She didn't have sex with him. She was raped by him.

No i dont want to discuss the sexual history of a child

Hopefully the police and social services are looking into that

There is nothing to be gained from locking this man up. He knows he fucked up and he's clearly incredibly ashamed of himself.

Saying that, there are some lessons to be learned here. The police need to be more interrogative of young women and parents need to know where there kids are.

Miffer , don't insult my intelligence.
Please don't misquote me.
I never said under 13.

But she claimed to be 16. And all other witnesses put her at 16-20.

So, the fact she was 12, is obvious to him?

the police need to be more interrogative of young women

Errm

Hopefully you mean of any young person out late at night and potentially in danger

Scottish this wasn't a woman this was a 12 y/o child. Nobody is trying to 'Regulate women's sexuality' they are trying to protect children.

Currently the law says (rightly IMO) that someone under the age of 13 is not capable of consenting to sex. Are you proposing that this law be changed? If so, how and why?

Im going to bed

On the way i might look in at dd and thank god that i know where she is

Assuming she is there obviously...

Oblomov. You said he shouldn't be a convicted rapist. He is one because the law says you are one, without exception, if you have sex with a child under 13. No matter how old you think they are. So you do disagree with the law as it stands. So. How would you change it?

Oblomov17

I don't think he should be a convicted rapist

Your words.

He is a rapist because under the law a child under 13 simply cannot consent to sex. Full stop. No ifs or buts.

You said that he shouldn't be a convicted rapist therefore you disagree with that law.

So please tell me what age we should lower this to. Simply question.

No one wants to discuss her previous sexual History.

1. sexual history of the victim should never be raised in rape cases for obvious reasons.

2. SHE IS TWELVE If she has any history it's a history of abuse, not a 'sexual history'

Fucking grim thread.