A prominent barrister specialising in reproductive rights has called for the age of consent to be lowered to 13. Glasgow native Bernadette OâRourke told online magazine Spiked that the move was necessary in the wake of the Savile scandal to end the "persecution of old men". She also said that complainants should no longer receive anonymity. The NSPCC called her views "outdated and simply ill-informed" and said to hear them "from a highly experienced barrister simply beggars belief". Her remarks come after a number of high-profile arrests over allegations of historical sexual offences in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Among those to have been convicted is former BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall, who admitted 14 charges of indecently assaulting girls, including one aged nine, between 1967 and 1985. Ms OâRourke described Hall's crimes as "low-level misdemeanours" which "ordinarily... would not be prosecuted". 'Prurient charade' "What we have here is the manipulation of the British criminal justice system to produce scapegoats on demand. It is a grotesque spectacle," she said. "It's time to end this prurient charade, which has nothing to do with justice or the public interest." She argues for an end to complainant anonymity, a strict statute of limitations to prevent prosecutions after a substantial amount of time has passed and a reduction in the age of consent to 13. She said that "touching a 17-year-old's breast, kissing a 13-year-old, or putting one's hand up a 16-year-old's skirt" are not crimes comparable to gang rapes and murders and "anyone suggesting otherwise has lost touch with reality". The NSPCC described crimes such as Hall's as "incredibly serious" and said that "to minimise and trivialise the impact of these offences for victims in this way is all but denying that they have in fact suffered abuse at all. "Any suggestion of lowering the age of consent could put more young people at risk from those who prey on vulnerable young people." It also argued that complainant anonymity should be maintained and that historical prosecutions should be allowed as "many who are abused are bullied, blackmailed and shamed into staying silent, often well into adulthood". -------------------------------- Complete madness that a barrister would brush off sexual abuse cases so easy, I wonder if her views would be different if she had been on the receiving end. Disgusting.
The legal age of consent in the Netherlands is 13, but you also have to obtain parental consent if the girl is under 16. What a fine rite of passage that must be for any young man. 'Hallo. You don't know me, but do you mind if I bang your 13 year old daughter?'
Bizarrely enough the age of consent in Northern Ireland is 17 (as opposed to the rest of the UK which is 16). I'm still waiting for Operation Yewtree to swoop at my house for getting my wife pregnant when she was 16
OOH YA ****!!! i thought you were on the wind up but curiosity got the better of me and i googled it, ****ing disgusting! bet she doesn't have a 13yr old daughter!
