20 minutes of action

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06-06-2016
thir

20 minutes of action

Rape culture, what does that mean, and does it exist?

The case of another campus rape done by a sports student who got a lenient sentence has again sparked off the issue as the father tries to defend his son, and the victim tries to defend herself.

‘20 minutes of action’: father defends Stanford student son convicted of sexual assault | US news | The Guardian

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/us...ther.html?_r=0

Is it ok to ruin a young person's life because of '20 minutes of action' and feeling wretched afterwards? Should there be a difference in rape cases between perpetrators with a promising future, and others?
If not, should the sentence be lighter for others as well, or harder for all? Should frats be forbidden, as it seems that the people there committed rape rather more often than others, and the universities seem unable to deal with the problem?

Should it be limited what you can ask of an alleged victim in court? As for instance what you wear, and all the rest? Should the ruin of this other person's life be taken into account? Should there be more help for rape victims, rather than harder punishments for the perpetrators?

Do you think there might be a difference in attitude towards these cases? Usually, when it is a drunk woman and a sport's person the sympathy is on the side of the perpetrator, but as far as I can follow it, this time is seems to be on the side of the victim?
06-07-2016
leo9

Re: 20 minutes of action

Quote:

Originally Posted by thir

Rape culture, what does that mean, and does it exist?

It depresses me very much that it still exists. When I was at school there was still an assumption that men getting sex by force was just part of the dating game. I always remember a line in a book where a guy invites his girlfriend to his flat, and she says "I'm too tired to wrestle." In other words, even though she likes him and believes he cares about her, she takes it for granted that if he gets her alone he'll try to force her, because that's just how it is.

But that was the 60s. This is the 21st Century, for Germaine Greer's sake.

Quote:

The case of another campus rape done by a sports student who got a lenient sentence has again sparked off the issue as the father tries to defend his son, and the victim tries to defend herself.

‘20 minutes of action’: father defends Stanford student son convicted of sexual assault | US news | The Guardian

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/us...ther.html?_r=0

Is it ok to ruin a young person's life because of '20 minutes of action' and feeling wretched afterwards? Should there be a difference in rape cases between perpetrators with a promising future, and others?

Judges have two big things to consider when sentencing (as well as a bunch of lesser things.) What it will mean to the convicted person - will it ruin their career, will they shrug it off and move on, will they learn anything from it - and what it will mean to the general public - will potential perps be deterred, will victims feel it's worth coming forward? Sometimes these conflict. That said, I don't have much sympathy for men who complain that their careers will be wrecked or their lives blighted by a heavy sentence for rape.

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Should it be limited what you can ask of an alleged victim in court? As for instance what you wear, and all the rest?

Judges already have the power to stop questioning that's irrelevant or overly hostile, so perhaps better training for judges is the answer.

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Should the ruin of this other person's life be taken into account? Should there be more help for rape victims, rather than harder punishments for the perpetrators?

The impact on the victim should always be considered, that's why we've begun having victim statements. And why should it be one or the other?

Quote:

Do you think there might be a difference in attitude towards these cases? Usually, when it is a drunk woman and a sport's person the sympathy is on the side of the perpetrator, but as far as I can follow it, this time is seems to be on the side of the victim?

I do hope it shows a wider change.
06-07-2016
thir

Re: 20 minutes of action

"That said, I don't have much sympathy for men who complain that their careers will be wrecked or their lives blighted by a heavy sentence for rape."

There is this frat thing. I thought it was only in movies and vastly exxagerated for the sake of plot, but apparently rape occurs far more often in these groups than in the male population as a whole. I've been thinking that the only way rape culture can stop is by men, by peer pressure. In the frat groups it seems to go the other way. Maybe forbid them??