Mary Jackson’s assertion that “Under UK law, rape of any kind requires physical force or threat of physical force” is absolutely untrue. All it requires is a lack of consent.
When I was at school, more than twenty years ago, it was emphasised to us (by a visiting police officer) that getting a woman drunk to “take advantage of her” was rape, and would be treated as such by the law.
Not only that, but her quotation from Merriam Webster is incomplete – here is the full quote:
“unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception —see also STATUTORY RAPE”
(found at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rape)
Note that since “Mike” was drunk and asleep at the time intercourse commenced, he was doubly “incapable of valid consent”, due to both “intoxication” and “unconsciousness”.
Simon Jester
2008-07-01 08:06:32





