Prime Minister Boris Johnson today again gave his backing to changing the law around the ‘rough sex’ defence – following a campaign by Grazia and We Can’t Consent To This.
However, during Prime Minister’s Questions, Johnson refused repeated calls for him to condemn US President Donald Trump’s handling of the protests following the death of George Floyd.
Grazia have been campaigning since last year with WCCTT to ban the so-called ‘rough sex’ defence, whereby men have received lesser convictions and even been found innocent by claiming that a woman who has been murdered or assaulted has ‘asked for’ violence as part of ‘rough sex’ gone wrong.
There are a suggested eight amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill to end the defence – brought forward by MPs Harriet Harman, Mark Garnier and Laura Farris. The government has pledged a review into the matter, and says they will report back before the domestic abuse bill becomes law. You can write to your MP using this link, and sign our petition here to further pressure the government into action.
Today, Ms Farris asked for clarification for the PM’s stance on the matter – in the run up to the election last year he told Grazia he supported banning the defence.
She said: ‘This government has taken the lead on tackling domestic abuse, but there’s an ugly dimension that remains unresolved where men who kill their partners in appalling acts of sexual violence establish in court that she had asked for it and avoid a murder conviction. Does my right honourable friend agree that the time is now to end the rough sex defence?’
Mr Johnson responded: ‘I thank my honourable friend, she raises an incredibly important point and we are committed to ensuring the law is made clear on this point and that defence is inexcusable.’
Campaign group WCCTT welcomed the answer, but said more needed to be done. ‘The Govt can - and must - go further in their own proposals,’ the said.
For those looking for any condemnation of the treatment of Black Lives Matters protestors by President Trump though, there was no commitment.
Labour leader Keir Starmer made his first question on the point – and that the government had yet to speak on the matter. Condemning his ‘shock and anger’ at the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis when a police officer knelt on his neck, Mr Starmer added: ‘I am surprised the Prime Minister hasn’t said anything about this yet. But I do hope next time he speaks to President Trump he will convey to him the UK’s abhorrence at his response to the events.’
The Prime Minister though, failed to take that step. ‘Let me begin by associating myself absolutely with what the Right Honourable Gentleman had to say about the death of George Floyd,’ he said. ‘And I think what happened in the United States was appalling, it was inexcusable, we all saw it on our screens. And I perfectly understand people’s right to protest what took place, although obviously I believe protests should take place in a lawful and reasonable way.’
The question was again pressed by others, including Labour’s Fleur Anderson and the SNP’s Ian Blackford, who said he had ‘skirted over’ the issue and asked if he’d at least say that Black lives matter.
‘Of course black lives matter. And I totally understand the anger, the grief that is felt, not just in America, but around the world and in our country too, and I understand and I get that,’ he said.
It’s been reported that Johnson last spoke to President Trump on Friday, four days after Mr Floyd died.
READ MORE: White People, If You’re Angry About George Floyd You Should Stay That Way
READ MORE: Let's End The 'Rough Sex' Defence