The UK Conservative Party in the UK, that is. And only on one thing. Still, I never thought I’d say it. But David Cameron is calling for tougher rape laws:
Speaking at the Conservative Women’s Organisation conference, Mr Cameron is expected to say: “Studies have shown that as many as one in two young men believe there are some circumstances when it’s okay to force a woman to have sex. To my mind, this is an example of moral collapse”….He is also set to call for compulsory sex education in schools to drive home the message that sex without consent is a criminal offence…. The Tory leader is due to say that some statistics suggest one in 20 women has been raped, yet three-quarters of them never report the crime. For those who do, conviction rates have tumbled in the past 30 years and sentences are shorter with the average at seven years, he will say…Mr Cameron will announce that shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert will carry out a review of rape punishments to ensure they are “proportionate to the crime”.
As a transplanted American, I must say I find it incredibly refreshing to see the phrase “moral collapse” being used to refer to something like this, rather than to gay people getting married, or women wanting to control their reproductive lives. (And by a Conservative, no less!)
[...] thinks that this is a great thing, and I really, really want to be able to agree. But — and though it sucks, it’s true [...]
That’s a stunning statistic! Do you know where it comes from?
[...] be very interesting to see the reaction of Redwood’s party leader, David Cameron, who has been rather more impressive on the issue. (Thanks for letting us know about this, Ross!) [...]
As nice as the sentiment may be – as with most crimes tougher sentences are not always better at preventing the crime. ‘too many men “think they can get away with it”‘ is solved directly by having a higher detection and conviction rate, not by turning 7 years into 100 years. There is already no person with a clear mind that would take 7 years in jail in exchange for ‘rape’ unless they are the sort of person who would perfer 100 years.
The conservatives would lead you down a track of thinking that revenge is a substitute for effective policy.