Judy Finnigan

[Deskdiary]

When I saw the headlines this morning I had a sharp intake of breath - surely a woman wouldn't 'excuse' rape?

However, having now seen a transcript, what she actually said was (lifted from the BBC website);

"If he does go back, he will have to brave an awful lot of comments," said Finnigan during her debut appearance on the lunchtime programme.

"But, having said that, he has served his time, he's served two years.

"The rape - and I am not, please, by any means minimising any kind of rape - but the rape was not violent, he didn't cause any bodily harm to the person.

"It was unpleasant, in a hotel room I believe, and she [the victim] had far too much to drink.

"That is reprehensible but he has been convicted and he has served his time."

Ultimately she's right, isn't she?

As unpleasant as this man is, he has served his time, and therefore shouldn't he be allowed to continue to pursure his chosen career?

[Sqad]

pixie

\\\\\Thank god for men like Andy and slappy.\\\

Are you sure that you are backing the right horse? Who is to say that in that particular group lie the rapists. What someone says is not what they may believe or do. Rapists and paedophiles are well documented with the clergy and medical circles, to say nothing of politicians.

You are disingenuous to men on AB and this thread that offer an alternative view to the two mentioned above.

Naive and....shame on you.

[naomi24]

Slapshot, He admitted to having sex with her, as did his buddy who was acquitted, but he doesn’t admit to raping her, so I really don’t see how he can show remorse for something he claims he didn’t do. That would be tantamount to a confession of guilt.

[andy-hughes]

Sqad - "\\\\Thank god for men like Andy and slappy.\\\

Are you sure that you are backing the right horse? Who is to say that in that particular group lie the rapists. What someone says is not what they may believe or do."

Thanks for the back-handed character assasination.

I can asure you that my views are backed by my actions - or in this case - lack of them.

[grumpy01]

Well said Naomi.I can't see how Clayton Macdonald was found not guilty and Evans guilty.After all they both had sex with her when she was drunk.

[Slapshot]

Sqad.... I speak as I am

[Sqad]

andy-hughes.........the "back handed assassination" if present, was not for you, but for the poster...pixie.

[Slapshot]

What Andy said

[naomi24]

Thank you grumpy.

[ladybirder]

Grumpy if you can't understand why one was found guilty and the other not, then you haven't read ag's link posted @13.59 yesterday.

[Sqad]

slappy my answer is the same as i gave to A-H.

It was a gross insult to other male ABers who held an alternative view to the two named.....AH& slappy.

[Svejk]

I was thinking along the same lines, sqad. Nothing to do with anyone on AB but as a general rule I think women should be wary of men who claim to be 'in touch with their feminine side'. And certainly don't castigate men who don't declaim it at every opportunity.

[Sqad]

Svejk....indeed.....that was my message to pixie.

[kvalidir]

Whilst I would be loathed to ever say there are degrees of rape, and absolutely never say that anyone raped deserves it because they acted in a dangerous or stupid manner, there are degrees of circumstance.
This man did not abduct a six year old girl kicking and screaming from the roadside, beat her and have violent sex with her. He accompanied his friend and a drunk girl back to a hotel room. That does not give him the right to rape her, it does however raise some doubts in my mind at least that if she was coherent and sober enough to consent to the other man having sex with her but accused BOTH of them of rape then presumably she probably said the same thing to both men since she alleges the BOTH raped her, and yet one was found guilty and another innocent, so therefore her state of drunkeness must be called into question ( since they believed she was not raped by one defendant- so therefore could consent).
It's never okay to rape anyone under any circumstances but it is getting so that things like this cannot be rationally discussed without someone finger pointing and saying - you said rape was okay sometimes. I haven't and Judy Finnegan didn't either, and had I been her I'd have apologised when hell froze over because she did nothing wrong.

[Svejk]

good post, kval. Especially like the bit about finger pointing to suppress debate. ;-)

[Slapshot]

Naomi.... if she says it wasn't consensual, it's rape, the law says that's the end of that discussion. Isn't that one of the tenets that womens' groups have been talking about for years???

[gness]

There are no degrees of rape. There is assault....which Icg suffered and was awful....and that assault included rape.....

Rape is intercourse without consent and if a woman is raped it's no less serious because she wasn't beaten. To be raped "gently" is bloody bloody awful.....and humiliating...and colours so much of the rest of your life.

Sqad....backing the right horse? I don't know what to say ....I'm lost on that post of yours.....

Svejk..Who is in touch with their feminine side for god's sake? Some men simply respect other people......what's wrong with that.....
I'd be more wary of a man who told me to be wary of men like Andy and Slapshot.

[Sqad]

\\\Sqad....backing the right horse? I don't know what to say ....I'm lost on that post of yours..... \\\

Well you seem to be the only one so far, as others have picked up on it, understood it and replied stating their opinion.

[DTCwordfan]

Rape is rape, simple as that, the act of non-consensual sex, usually man to woman but not exclusively.

Are we seeing people wanting a two tier system based on aggression then, as that is what seems to be the views of some on here. The judges have that capability already in their spread of tariffs for sentencing and I would advocate leaving that in their hands.

There's another point too, we comment on things when we haven't been there in court....that's okay but remember that we are not privy to all the evidence presented by the prosecution or defence. One assumes that there is logic to the decision - generally so.

[Svejk]

No need to twist things, gness, and put words in my mouth.

[gness]

C'mon Svejk....you told us who to be wary of.....don't back down on that.... have the balls to stick to your opinion..whatever I think of it.