Protecting women: Frightening steps backward.

This is disgusting.

A British court did rapists a favor when it ruled drunk women can consent to sex, at least if they get drunk voluntarily. In the court case that led to this outrageous ruling, voluntary drinking did indeed play a part. The judges stated,

"...where the complainant has voluntarily consumed even substantial quantities of alcohol, but nevertheless remains capable of choosing whether or not to have intercourse, and in drink agrees to do so, this would not be rape."

The 19-year old victim in this case had consumed enough alcohol to lead to vomiting and partial memory loss. To my knowledge, these are obvious physical signs she'd be too impaired at that point to make rational decisions about much of anything except sleeping it off. How far does the intoxication have to go before she is no longer "capable" of choosing to have sex, your honors? Complete loss of consciousness?

I don't know what those judges were thinking. Wait, never mind, I can guess...



In related news, a UK study finds that alcohol is the real date rape drug, and voluntary drunkenness does play a part in allowing women to be easier victims of sexual assault.



Just in case you aren't sick enough yet:

A German court has allowed a man to continue to beat his wife and threaten to kill her because of his religion, and denied her request for an immediate divorce, which she requested to protect her own safety.