divebuddy - //I think one of the big problems about rape cases is that the sisterhood have been fairly successful in seeing their mantra - rape is rape is rape - generally accepted. They simply don't accept that some "rapes" are more serious than others. //
I think 'the sisterhood' are absolutely correct in their view that rape is rape.
The difficulty occurs when a situation is not rape, but is made to appear so for a variety of personal reasons, and this clouds the concept of what rape is, and how it should be dealt with, both by the courts, and by society as a whole.
To my way of thinking, and I think 'the sisterhood' would be behind me on this - if a woman is made to endure sext without her consent, then that is rape.
The difficulties occur when some women use the notion of rape to defend unwise decisions involving behaviour, and this of course clouds the water for genuine rape victims, because these cases attract masses more publicity than those of convicted rapists who were guilty of the crime.
So I do believe that rape is rape, and there are no degrees of 'seriousness' - but we ought to look for another legal term when a case is brought where consent may have been given, and is now being withdraw, because clearly that is not rape as 'the sisterhood', or indeed the law, understand it.