Finally - a sportsman is found guilty of rape

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

Have been following the case of the cricketer Alex Hepburn, who was charged with raping a woman who had had consensual sex with his friend - when the original jury couldn't reach a verdict in January, I felt sure that this would be another case like the Ulster rugby case so I was pleased to see him found guilty of at least one count of rape (although not the other - not sure how that happens).

Similar to the Ulster case in that it involves a vile exchange of WhatsApp messages between Hepburn and his mates which just shows how much contempt some men have for women. It should be unbelievable how much some of them hate us, yet it seems all too familiar really.

Story here

so I no way condone rape of any description all I’m saying is nobody knows what happened only the two involved

So basically, the only time you would accept a guilty verdict in a rape case is if there was an independent witness who could verify that they had watched the sexual encounter and yes, it was rape?

Um, how the hell is that not condoning rape?

Bloody hell sprot. Really? He was found guilty based on EVIDENCE. The CPS would not have brought this case to trial unless they had overwhelming evidence to support the accusation. The conviction is not based on speculation or opinion. It's based on EVIDENCE. And people like you are the reason that rape is still massively under reported. Because even when there's evidence, people like you still defend the poor misunderstood menz.

Words fail me.

You can have your own POV. Just don't be surprised if people call you out for your rape apology.

Of course you can have your own point of view. That's what free speech is about. But it also means that others can challenge your point of view and ask you to defend it. If you choose not to, that's fine - but it might also suggest that it's pretty indefensible.

I have no defence as I wasn’t there so

Don't be so daft. People are pointing out the issues with your point of view, not telling you that you can't hold it.

sprot

If your point of view, on a feminist board, is that you want to make excuses for a convicted rapist, then your POV will be robustly challenged and called out for being part of rape culture. If you don’t like the responses you’re getting, then go back to AIBU or have a look at yourself. You would never make excuses for a convicted burglar, don’t do it for rapists.

Sprot, I sympathise with your view, and there are no doubt a very small number of innocent people convicted. But there are much more guilty people let off. The fact is that the evidence has to be pretty damn overwhelming to get a conviction through the courts. The jury are the ones that heard all the evidence available and came to the verdict based on that.

False allegations of rape are extremely rare, the lowest rate of false reports of any crime.

The 'not being there, so I can't say that the convicted rapist is wrong' thing is one of the odder points of view I've seen.

Presumably you haven't been present at all the other crimes ever commited either, but are happy to trust a court conviction in those cases. But not this one. Tis a puzzlement.

Yes, do you doubt all guilty convictions in cases where only two people were present? So a mugging, say, that no-one witnesses apart from the mugger and his/her victim?

I'm genuinely interested in this perspective of the legal system as it seems to suggest that we cannot find an accused person guilty of any crime that has not been witnessed by a third party, that other evidence is irrelevant.

The witch hunt analagy is completely inaccurate sprot.

As a man looking at these cases (and being deeply ashamed by the behavior of some fellow men) what can be done to encourage more people to come forward if they've been assaulted or raped?

Sprot - are also of the view that the type of skimpy underwear or clothing a woman wears is also part of the reason she is raped? Because it sounds to me as if you are of the opinion that she may somehow have encouraged this by being asleep, naked in her lover's bed? It's dangerously close to saying 'she was asking for it'. Which she wasn't. And neither would she have been if she were wearing a lacy thong or whatever. 12 people unanimously decided he was guilty. They heard the evidence. You didn't. So instead of victim blaming perhaps have the good grace to realise how crass and insensitive your comments have been?

sprot 0.62% according to CPS.
Overall, in the CPS’ view, false allegations of rape are “serious but rare”. They estimate that there is one prosecution for a false rape claim out of every 161 rape cases prosecuted. That means — according to the best available data — false allegations make up 0.62 per cent of all rape cases.

www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-men-are-more-likely-to-be-raped-than-be-falsely-accused-of-rape

Just to help set your mind at ease.

Scored lines randomly added for no reason.

As a man looking at these cases (and being deeply ashamed by the behavior of some fellow men) what can be done to encourage more people to come forward if they've been assaulted or raped?

Change the whole culture which makes women feel at fault and ashamed and guilty if they have been sexually assaulted, and place the shame, guilt and blame where it belongs, on the perpetrators. Create a culture where men are called to account not just by women but by other men if they are guilty of sexist and misogynistic behaviour. Create campaigns which tell men how to avoid being a rapist rather than campaigns which tell women how to avoid getting raped. Stop police officers and defence lawyers from asking a woman what she was wearing; what she had been drinking; whether she had had sex that day, that week, that year, ever; whether she had kissed her rapist, touched her rapist, spoken to her rapist, smiled at her rapist, made eye contact with her rapist, been in the same room as her rapist, all of which, by the way, signify consent to sex in SO many people's minds.

I think just create a world where not so many men hate women with such a passion, really.

I'm so pleased at this verdict. Odious man. I wasn't hopeful after the jury failed to reach a verdict in the first trial so this is good news. Hope the judge hands down an appropriate sentence

nobody knows what happened only the two involved
A unanimous jury found that that the evidence adduced proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt

I wonder whats different about this case compared to any of the others where men have walked free. Other than the jury.

OP I truly believe your last post should go up on a bill board.

Well, he was sentenced today for five years in prison.

The news reports quotes some of the victim impact statement the woman made: it's so sad. Someone's life devastated because a bloke thinks his right to sex is more important than her right to consent to that sex.

Very glad to hear this today. And I hope all the other blokes on that original WhatsApp group are absolutely shitting themselves. They should all be shamed for this by association.

Yes I was impressed by this.
Fwiw I was on a jury in a rape case and was very impressed by the judge's advice. He was very good on issues of consent.

A little bit of good news on a dismal day. I can only hope that his victim at last feels that some justice has been done.