Reader TTS

Not every woman has been raped or sexually assaulted. But it’s an incredibly rare woman who hasn’t at some point feared she might be. You may or may not be aware of it, but it is almost a

statistical certainty that you know someone who has been through this ordeal.

We have a rape crisis that is reaching such dramatic levels that rape is at once becoming prevalent and normalised. While rates of reporting have sky rocketed, rates of prosecution and

conviction have fallen dramatically. Victims commissioner for England has described the situation as akin to the “decriminalisation” of rape.

In the meantime we like to think our understanding of sexual assault has changed. The classic image of a stranger jumping out of the bushes is no longer the only accepted definition. We say

we know now that the perpetrator is much more likely to be someone you know. But victims’ phones are still trawled by the police (a system currently under review) despite knowing that

existing relationships do not mean rape isn’t possible.

Last week, the former Tory MP Charlie Elphicke was found guilty of Sexual Assault against two women and — according to the judge — may well face immediate custody.

This week, an unnamed Tory MP has been arrested on suspicion of rape. He is unnamed at present, though a few details are known. There is rampant speculation on Twitter and elsewhere about

the identity of the man. There is misplaced fury at the press for not naming him (it is rare for the media to do so before the police. Doing so could jeopardise a prosecution).

But sadly this, as everything else, is being viewed not through the lens of right and wrong, but right and left. The MP is a Tory = Tories are evil = All Tories are protecting him and are

lying evil b*stards. On the other side, the arrested MP’s local association has given him its full support, saying “We can’t accept that there is any truth whatsoever in these accusations.”

Phew — no need for a trial then.

It makes me furious when criminal cases become political footballs. There may be times when these are ideological — genuine and heartfelt differences between two ideological positions about

what the law should be. But this is almost never the case.

Instead, it’s tribal. Our side are good and can do no wrong. Your side are bad and when one of yours does wrong it is because of the moral weakness of all of you. We protect our own

unthinkingly and allow our anger at the other side let us act in ways that might actually harm a prosecution. In doing so, both sides show a severe lack of respect to the victims of the

actual cases and a disregard for the seriousness of the actual crime involved.

No mainstream UK party can claim the high ground on this matter. There have been multiple scandals over the last decade across all parties. Labour had a number of MPs accused of sexual

misconduct who eventually lost the whip, but whose cases were delayed so long they were able to stand down in retirement, not disgrace. As for the Lib Dems, the Rennard case and its bungling

continues to have repercussions, with the peer trying to make a comeback in Lib Dem politics only this year.

The truth is, disgust at sexual assault should be beyond party politics. If you express outrage at allegations of someone from one party you should do so for your own. If you don’t, what you

are showing is how little you actually care about rape and how willing you are to use it as a tool in your own partisan or factional battles.

In a UK where reports of rape continue to rise and where convictions continue to drop, we clearly have a culture that is too unwilling to see rape as it is. If partisans of all stripes

continue to see rape as a weapon to use against opponents, this can only continue.

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