Ending "Rough Sex" defences - Harriet Harman is taking action

[WomanDaresTo]

Hello. I have some very hopeful news on ending the successful use of "rough sex" as a defence to the death or injury of women and girls (with 56 killed, and many more injured, in the UK)

Harriet and Mark Garnier, the local MP for Natalie Connolly and her family, have published a piece today on rough sex defences. They propose to add to the Domestic Abuse Bill to explicitly consider these cases.

"For years, men got away with murder claiming that “she asked for it”. Cynically known amongst barristers as the “nagging and shagging defence” this excuse for violent men was shut down only as recently as 2009. We now have the modern version of “she was asking for it”. It’s time we shut that down too and we can by adding it to the Domestic Abuse Bill."

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/rough-sex-murder-harriet-harman_uk_5d309e09e4b020cd9940533c

I'm THRILLED to see this, and once we understand more on the proposals, will make sure we organise to give this the best chance of success. (lots of caveats to come - e.g. it's a long way from law yet, and it won't apply to Scotland- but still thrilled)

to all of you who've helped We Can't Consent To This so far.

Good.

Thank goodness.

Good

It's things like this that lift my spirits and give me faith that things can change. Thanks for sharing OP.

This has been long overdue.

About time too.

Thank God. You can't consent to being abused and murdered.

Hurrah. About time.

Good news, thanks for posting that op.

This is great news. I feel so sick and angry every time I hear this as a defence, which is far too often. RIP Natalie Connolly and all the other victims.

Brilliant news, thanks for posting.

Excellent news. Mark Garnier is my local mp- good to see him taking action after Natalie's horrific murder.

DrEm has a thoughtful thread on consent:

A new trend in the rough sex defence to murder positions men as slaves to consent - they had to because she was asking for it. If men cared that much about women's consent 11 - 13 women wouldn't be raped per hour in England & Wales.
...
as the rough sex defence to murder shows, the notion that a woman enthusiasticly wanted something has been weaponised against women. We need to stop this idea that women really just want to be abused, and will ask for it.

twitter.com/PankhurstEM/status/1149580183336153088

Good, because she’s doing fuck all about the GRA.

Thank goodness for HH and MG. There are some decent politicians out there.

Great work! I’m so pleased to hear this, it’s appalling that you are seemingly unable to consent to a punch in the face and yet so many women have been killed by men who have then successfully used the “rough sex gone wrong defence”. This a definite step in the right direction

Well done Harriet. All you really need to do is reverse the burden of proof, surely. Perfectly standard methodology.

Good.

Women can't consent to their own murder.

Thank you for that Dr EM thread, it's great.

Excellent news - this is long overdue.

Great. Glad to see Mark standing up too.

this is fantastic news. the we can't consent to this website was harrowing reading.

Fantastic. I glimmer of hope.

Good

What is most shocking is that our UK Judicial System even considers that "rough sex" could be in any way a valid defence!

The systemic misogyny within our UK Judicial System is terrifying!