Quote Originally Posted by Donatien
A report has just been published in th UK which concludes that, only 5.6% of reported rape cases end in the rapist being convicted in court. This represents a record low, and staggering when one reflects in 1977 the rate of conviction was 32%.
I remember reading a similar report some years ago when I was in the Probation Service but I am having trouble finding it. One of its conclusions was that one of the reasons rape convictions are so low is that rape is a blanket charge. That if murder had a similar blanket charge then we would see convictions of murder drop significantly. However the charge of murder or killing is divided into several categories which are clearly defined. Of course there are legal arguments over definitions but if you kill someone the Crown Prosecution Service does not have to bring a charge of murder, it has several optional charges it could choose from and so if the CPS feels there is not enough evidence to bring the most severe charge it can use a lesser charge. The judge then has a degree of choice as to the sentence imposed so if the Judge decides the crime is towards the most serious end of the charge s/he can impose the heaviest sentence for the conviction. It is this that prompts me to ask the question, is rape rape or is rape a group of crimes? I don't have the wisdom of Solomon, I'm just posing the question.

Donatien, the original misunderstanding was because value judgements were made in what was basically an intellectual discussion. We can all impose our own values. GWB's talked about freedom and democracy on his visit to Europe and though I was in the US I heard the cries from Europe 'Whose freedom and whose democracy?' Definitions might seem long winded and beside the point when something appears to be so obvious but such lack of clarity has started wars before now. I wouldn't worry about anything. I think most people appreciate honest opinions and good intentions. It's impossible to have a meaningful discussion and not have some disagreement.