Sadly, we hear way too many stories about judges – the people who’re meant to be the moral arbiters of our society – getting their facts confused. And extra sadly, we now bring you some quotes from district judge Nigel Cadbury (definitely not from the chocolate company), who’s said that murder victim Karen Buckley, 24, was to blame for her death.
Speaking at the sentencing at an unrelated case of assault where Leanne Roberts, 21, was found guilty of assaulting someone outside a bar, he said: ‘I find it incredible that young people can get so drunk that they don’t even know who they’re with.
‘One only has to think about the horrible situation in Glasgow to see how serious this could have been. It’s very, very worrying how young girls put themselves in such very, very vulnerable positions.’
Yeah, and it’s also very, very worrying how old men get themselves into very, very important positions where they don’t think to check themselves before saying such ridiculous things.
Karen Buckley’s remains were found dumped in a field earlier this month. Four days before, the 24-year-old, who was a student at Glasgow Caledonian University had been at a club before walking to a man’s flat in nearby Kelvinside.
District Jjudge Cadbury warned Roberts, who was sentenced at Worcester magistrates’ court that, ‘There is a drinking problem because she can’t remember what she did. I am sure you are now aware of how vulnerable you made yourself.’
Ugh, for the billionth time. Drink doesn’t cause rape. Skirts don’t cause rape. Rapists cause rape!
This man could now adjudicate on a sexual violence cases, and with attitudes like this we really fear for the women affected by, well, any decision he makes at work.
Katie Russell, of Rape Crisis, said in a reports in the Daily Mail: ‘It was wholly insensitive to make reference to the murder of Karen Buckley in this context and the timing of these comments was particularly distasteful.’
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.