Legislation on rape

Press, 26 August 1980, Page 16

Legislation on rape

Sir, — I think that certain matters should be drawn, to the attention of those correspondents who have criticised the report of the Criminal Law Reform Committee on the decision in Morgan. First, it should be remembered that the defendants in Morgan were not acquitted. Second,, the , reasonableness of a belief will always ; be relevant in assessing if that belief was genuine — a jury will find it hard to believe that an accused honest-

ly believed that a struggling, protesting woman was consenting. One must not forget either that women as well as men serve on juries. The alternative to Morgan is to send honest men to- jail. Last, in the five years since the decison there has not been an upsurge in acquittals. through its application. If your correspondents really wish to attack a report of the committee, I suggest they devote their attention to the proposals for extended powers of search. — Yours, etc., R. E. NEAVE. August 22, 1980. Sir, — It seems that the Morgan ruling is to place the blame for rape squarely back on the shoulders of women. After all, have not men believed for years that all women secretly desire rape and that all a woman’s protestations to the contrary are simply designed to prolong and intensify the pleasure? I contend that Morgan and his friends had to be very sick, mentally, if their sexual proclivities needed screaming and kicking for stimulation. Surely no-one puts forward rape, or even rape simulation to that degree, as normal heterosexual behaviour, and yet, it seems, the legal system now allows for this to be put forward as part of a rapist’s defence. Perhaps the next step will be to introduce a ruling that allows men to use this same excuse (i.e. “I thought she wanted it.”) after raping a young girl? — Yours, etc., DIANA WRIGHT. August 22, 1980.