Women applaud Govt’s changes to rape bill

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 3

Women applaud Govt’s changes to rape bill

PA Wellington The Government’s decision to drop the hotly debated spousal immunity provision from its rape legislation before Parliament was warmly received by women’s groups yesterday. Several groups expressed pleasure at the decision, but some also said that there would have to be other changes in the Rape Law Reform Bill before they were happy with it. The National caucus decision to support a change to the bill removing the spousal immunity from rape was announced by the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon.

Unde/ the immunity provision husbands who raped their wives could not have been prosecuted. Hie bill, introduced in

December, is being considered by Parliament’s Statutes Revision Committee.

Mrs Rosemary Barrington, a research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington’s Institute of Criminology, said the Government’s decision was “marvellous.” She said it was curious, however, that the Government had come to a decision while the bill was still before the select committee and four months after its introduction. Mrs Jenny Simpson, a member of the Advisory Committee on Women’s Affairs and a National Party member in Inglewood, said she was “sincerely relieved” at the Government’s decision.

“Without this amendment they would have missed the

point completely,” she said. “I see it as a very positive and right move which will now make the law credible in my eyes.” The publicity convener of the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, Ms Raewyn Good, said the groups were very pleased at the decision, although disappointed it took so long. Ms Good said they had other concerns with the bill, however, including the fact that it did not recognise bestiality in rape and that women could be charged with rape. The Broadsheet collective in Auckland said that there was “no way” the Government could have got away with leaving the spousal immunity provision in the bill.