16-year-old faces statutory rape charge for having consensual sex with girl the same age as him

wzil · 2016-03-05T18:44:09+00:00

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-this-romeo-and-juliet-law-is-in-fact-a-blackmailers-charter-for-a-girl-who-chooses-to-serially-seduce-boys-and-serially-complain-26826565.html

The Supreme Court last week upheld the constitutionality of the 2006 Sexual Offences Act, by which a 16-year-old can be imprisoned for having sex, but not the girl ... what a truly wonderful world we have made, wherein a virginal 16-year-old boy can be seduced by a sexually experienced 16-year-old girl, yet only he can be found guilty of a criminal offence and imprisoned. This so-called 'Romeo and Juliet' law is in fact Delilah's Law, and a blackmailer's charter for any girl who chooses to serially seduce boys and serially complain.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the danger of pregnancy for teenage girls was an objective which lawmakers were entitled to take into account. ... While strict equality is the norm laid down by article 40.1, it also recognises that perfectly equal treatment is not always achievable, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Susan Denham, said. Article 40.1 recognises that applying the same treatment to all is not always desirable because it could lead to indirect inequality because of different circumstances in which people find themselves, she said. Some of the differences between people, particularly in relation to capacity, are inherent and most obviously between sexes. Laws prohibiting discrimination on grounds of pregnancy have justifiably been applied to women and it follows that laws such as in this case were not examples of the State holding men or women unequal before the law, she said.

But this logic can surely be inverted. If it is right to say the possibility of pregnancy is why a girl should not be guilty of a sexual offence, is it not also using the same logic to say that that same possibility should rule her out of those professions where pregnancy and its aftermath are an impediment, such as radiology, soldiering, or flying? It is an insult to common sense to maintain that pregnancy can serve only as a get-out-of jail card, and that there can be no adverse legal or occupational consequences to it.

Quite simply, there is no human or legal condition that confers only advantages but has no disadvantages: except of course in this brave new feminist world, where beneficial consequences must always accrue to women, regardless of circumstance. ... it does at least satisfy one obvious appetite that is apparently deep within the feminist agenda; the endless need to punish men.

Tedesche · 2016-03-05T17:48:45+00:00

No charges for the girl though. Only men can rape.

garglemesh42 · 2016-03-05T20:36:46+00:00

I don’t think he understands what is going on.

Yeah, I don't understand what's going on either.

rg57 · 2016-03-06T06:10:09+00:00

Wouldn't it be nice if rape laws were actually about rape?

LedZeppelin1602 · 2016-03-05T20:53:15+00:00

Disgusting inequality.

TheDude41 · 2016-03-05T21:13:05+00:00

Smooth_Talkin_Fucker · 2016-03-06T15:57:19+00:00

I like how a bit of class division was thrown into the article too: the boy is in State care. The girls family is a ‘decent family'. But regardless of that, the fact that only the boy can be charged is ridiculous. Not that there should be any charge against either party in this case in my opinion.

moorghost · 2016-03-05T18:02:45+00:00

just common law things.

2016-03-05T19:38:29+00:00

She could have been older than him, and he still would have been charged.

locks_are_paranoid · 2016-03-06T07:07:59+00:00

Many states in the US have similar laws, they're just rarely used if both people are the same age. I know California has a law that if two peopel under 18 have sex, they'll be charged with statutory rape.

Tmomp · 2016-03-06T13:40:00+00:00

State-sponsored institutionalized sexism, hurting men and boys.

youhatetruth · 2016-03-06T03:39:22+00:00

They REALLY do mean it, "All heterosexual intercourse is the rape of a woman."

Aarondhp24 · 2016-03-06T07:14:30+00:00

Comments have been disabled as a case is still before the courts.

Or because you don't want the public outcry is that it? That's it I'm done. I'm celibate for the rest of my fucking life.

mwobuddy · 2016-03-06T12:24:56+00:00

Throw the book at this sick young man having sex with underage children! Right guys?? /s

Title	16-year-old faces statutory rape charge for having consensual sex with girl the same age as him
Author	Damazein
Upvotes	152
Comments	35
Date	March 5, 2016 5:21 PM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/4938sg/16yearold_faces_statutory_rape_charge_for_having/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/16-year-old-faces-statutory-rape-charge-for-having.954670 https://theredarchive.com/post/954670