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New UK Rape Laws
Government campaign to ensure consent from drunk women
The Home Office has launched a new campaign that will warn men to ensure that a woman has consented to sex, especially when drunk, to avoid being accused of rape.
The campaign is prompted because of low conviction rates for cases in England and Wales.
"We are launching an awareness campaign on March 14 (2006) to help tackle rape by educating young men about the need to gain consent before having sex," a Home Office spokeswoman said.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Giving consent is active not passive, and it's up to everyone to make sure that their partner agrees to sexual activity."
She said the issue of consent was central to the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which stated that a person must agree to sex by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make a choice.
The new campaign, which will launch on March 14, comes amid concerns that an allegation of rape is less likely to lead to a conviction than ever before.
Home Office research found that, out of 11,766 allegations of rape made in 2002, there were just 655 convictions - down 0.5 per cent from the previous year. In 258 cases the rapist pleaded guilty and the remainder were convictions at trial.
A recent survey found that more than a quarter of people in the UK believed a woman was at least partly responsible for being raped if she was drunk.
Mike O'Brien, the Solicitor General, said the Home Office was also considering a change in the rape laws to require juries to decide whether a woman who had consumed alcohol was too drunk to give her consent.
The campaign will include radio and magazine advertisements and posters in men's bathrooms in urban pubs and clubs.
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Winston ChurchillTwo deaf people got married. During the first week of marriage, they found they were unable to communicate in the bedroom when they turn the lights off because they can't see each other using sign language.
After several nights of fumbling around and misunderstandings, the wife decides to find a solution. "Honey," she signs, "Why don't we agree on some simple signals? For instance, at night, if you want to have sex with me, reach over and squeeze my right breast one time. If you don't want to have sex, reach over and squeeze my left breast one time."
The husband thinks this is a great idea and signs back to his wife, "Great idea, now if you want to have sex with me, reach over and pull on my penis one time."
"If you don't want to have sex, reach over and pull on my penis....fifty times."
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