"Levels of rape"

[DecJ]

As a non UK-ian could you outline who Ed Miliband and Ken Clarke are? Sometimes their position and social standing can dictate was is appropriate and not-appropriate to say, particularly when being publically broadcast.

To be very sterile about the issue rape is in some ways no different to other crimes in that there is always going to be different levels of severity. Assault is an example. It's because of this that judges are given leeway to determine an appropriate penalty that matches the severity of the crime within pre-determined guidelines.

[PontiusPilate]

I think concentual sex regardless of age difference shouldnt be called rape. It goes from child abuse right through to kids being kids. What's wrong with the old law of sex with a minor? Keep the title of rape for what it is

[urtenfifteen]

Ed Milliband is currently leader of the Labour Party. While David Cameron has gained some level of gravitas as PM even though he is fairly young, I feel Ed has not, and just doesn't come across as someone with any authority. Ken Clarke is Minister of Justice (apparently), I'm a bit confused as I would have thought a lot of his remit is covered by the Home Secretary's role. He's been around a long time, and had a few Cabinet positions under Thatcher, then was on the backbenches for a while after he stood as Conservative leader some time before the new guard came in

[Blueapple]

But there are minors, and there are minors. If a child is too young to know what sex is and thus show non-consent it should still most definitely be rape, in addition to sex with a minor and child abuse and anything else they can find to pile on.

[tasksmom]

I think it's the argument previously mentioned that anyone under the age of consent cannot give their consent as it is believed they are not mature enough to make this choice on their own so in law it will always be non-consensual and therefore rape. The rise in visibility and intolerance of peodophiles (as they have always been around, just went pretty much unpunished) has probably had something to do with the change in the law. The other side of the argument, the increasing sexualisation of children is quite interesting, if disturbing as the free market vs childhood. It wasn't that long ago, okay maybe a couple of hundred years ago that parents had the right of live or death over their children. How times have changed

[TheHaterâ„¢]

Personally I think it should be beyond rape. A child abuser is far worse than a rapist. I'd like the term rape to mean what most people thinks it means. Raping a child should be two offences

[JaysonY]

His mistake was implying that there could be rapes that were non-serious. That said, I think it's important to recognise the range of severity that such crimes can exhibit.

[terril]

I agree with Mr. Clarke's comment: "Rape has been singled out as an example mainly to add a bit of sexual excitement to the headlines." Milliband will do anything to gain favour with the people, considering he's the leader (?) of the party which left the UK in such a shoddy state.

[smokefanTS20]

Which is plain dumb. Legal age of consent is 16 at the moment suggesting that a girl/guy 1 day off of there 16th birthday is incapable of giving knowledgable consent whilst a day later they suddenly become mature and wise. The thing is that as a species we develop sexually much earlier than 16 and it is legislation steered by religion that dictates such rules, not individual understanding or even common sense.
Refering back to what Kwajman said earlier about how a 17 and 15 year old is fine but a 30 and 15 year old isn't, this has to be looked at in it's own right, examined thoroughly and not through the minds of daily mail readers whose idea of perverts and paedo's is coloured by the sensasional headlines and buzz words. Black and white just don't work.

[doodlesnicker]

I agree, SpikeD. I was at a club in Phoenix last year and one of my friends got chatting to a beautiful blond gal; she had the whole package - gorgeous eyes, straight teeth (), great rack and long legs (around 5'8 or 5'9 tall). Everyone who saw her, and whom I spoke to about her, thought she was 20 or 21. She approached my friend, they got chatting and appeared to be getting on great, then he walked away from her. When I asked him why he didn't keep talking to her, he replied: "She's 14." Just goes to show.