- Target:
- George Galloway MP
- Region:
- United Kingdom
George Galloway said the following in a video podcast which was posted online on 18th August 2012:
“Even taken at its worst, if the allegations made [against Julian Assange] by these two women were true, 100% true, and even if a camera in the room captured them, they don't constitute rape, at least not rape as anyone with any sense can possibly recognise it."
"I mean, not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion. Some people believe that when you go to bed with somebody, take off your clothes and have sex with them and then fall asleep you're already in the sex game with them. It might be really bad manners not to have tapped her on the shoulder and said 'do you mind if I do it again' - it might be really sordid and bad sexual etiquette, but whatever else it is, it is not rape, or you bankrupt the term rape of all meaning.”
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B4I5F05jNg 22:20 onwards
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 section 4 says “a person (A) commits an offence if—
(a) (s)he intentionally causes another person (B) to engage in an activity,
(b) the activity is sexual,
(c) B does not consent to engaging in the activity, and
(d) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.”
“Whether a belief is reasonable is to be determined having regard to all the circumstances, including any steps A has taken to ascertain whether B consents." That means that if there’s any doubt, you should ask about consent.
Section 74 defines consent as "if (s)he agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice" .
Section 75 (2) specifically states that where a person is asleep or otherwise unconscious, it should be assumed that they did not consent.
We the undersigned believe that George Galloway's statements about rape perpetuate common dangerous misunderstandings of the law defining rape.
We believe George Galloway's clarification ‘no means no and non-consensual sex is rape' is NOT adequate.
We call on George Galloway to formally retract and apologise for his comments regarding the definition of rape. We call on him to work proactively to help educate people accurately about rape law and the true meaning of consent under the law.
We also formally request that George Galloway tables an Early Day Motion to address the legal, human and civil rights of all survivors of sexual violence. The Savile case highlighted systematic denial of sexual violence, and, as austerity measures grip the UK, many services that are essential in giving support and legal justice for survivors are being cut or closed down completely. We believe this EDM is both crucial and timely to address these matters and help to address the damage and distress his statement has caused.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The George Galloway MP petition to George Galloway MP was written by Bradford Ask For Consent and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.