Man admits to rape of a 12 year old

[ClassicCar]

The charade seems to be sending out some weird messages and raising many questions. The main issue is that it's OK to **** children as long as they don't look like children???

So what does the law protect children having sex from? Is it physical damage or mental damage? What if this guy was a Brown Person from Rochdale, would everyone still be this sympathetic to the guy?

If that's the message you get from this, I'd suggest a bit of self reflection.

You have to judge the event, not the reflection of the event.

A man went on a night out. Late at night, in a taxi rank by a bar he met a woman of legal age. They talked, went to a party, and had sex. Until events of the following weeks, this is what happened to him. All of his decisions are based on this information. This happens literally thousands of times every week.

The issue is that it has since come to light that the girl was underage. However, he had no reason whatsoever to even consider that she was underage. Several police officers and taxi drivers confirm this, and had no doubts she was of legal age.

You are basing your judgement on the fact that you KNOW she was underage during the event. However, having read the sentence above, what changes about the part in bold? Yes she was underage, but was it reasonable to think that he'd know that? Not at all.

Let's consider a truly ridiculous scenario. You go around to a friends house and he hands you a TV remote. He tells you to turn on the TV, so you press the power button. This is the event, your decisions and actions all make sense in that regard.

A couple of weeks later you get arrested. Through some electronic trickery your friend has arranged it so when someone presses the power button, a bomb explodes. Many people are killed.

By logic such as yours, you should be charged with murder? Obviously not. You had no knowledge of any crime, and it wouldn't be reasonable to expect that you might be committing a crime. There's no difference here.

 

[Woden]

The guy could be ordered to pay some fines, unpaid work, some sort of alcohol awareness course, I don't know, something other then walk free.

What could possibly be gained from punishing him further? It's not deterrence, you can't be deterred from committing a crime your not aware your committing. It's not rehabilitation, he didn't aim to sleep with a child in the first place, do he's not likely to try it now.

The only reason you want him punishing is that the situation leaves you uncomfortable.

 

[Tefal]

Men are supposed to be gentlemen. This drinking and clubbing culture is BS.

Didnt you brag that you and your mate tag teamed a girl in the back of a car?

 

[kindai]

The opinions in this thread are worrying to say the least. The whole idea behind the legal system is to protect the general public from people or discourage people from doing something again. Kill someone? go to jail. Steal something? do some community payback.

This is a case of a young lad who, while yes he has technically broken the law, is not a pedophile or predatory sex offender that is a danger to others. There is nothing to be gained by any party involved in punishing him. I would argue the fact his life is ruined now anyway highlights another flaw that needs to be addressed in the legal system.

 

[dowie]

Didnt you brag that you and your mate tag teamed a girl in the back of a car?

[like button]

 

[robgmun]

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what being owned looks like

 

[IvanDobskey]

I just find it hard to believe that any 12 year old can look of legal age.

I was still playing with my lego set at 12 for God's sake

 

[TwsT]

I just find it hard to believe that any 12 year old can look of legal age.

I was still playing with my lego set at 12 for God's sake

Now i'm in my 30's I totally understand challenge 25, everyone looks so young. I don't think anyone looks old, just young. It also amazes me how i ever got served in pubs and shops at 15/16 years old....No way i looked 18 i suppose some people just don't care.

 

[EddScott]

I just find it hard to believe that any 12 year old can look of legal age.

I was still playing with my lego set at 12 for God's sake

It can be difficult to judge sometimes.

My eldest is 15, I can tell she's young but then, I know my child. She has a friend who is 12 and looks older. You would easily believe they were the same age. My GFs daughter is 14 and you'd be surprised she's in secondary school she's that small.

It's also not hard to work out very quickly which ones are going to be a handful and which ones you're kinda grateful aren't yours.

 

[deuse]

The charade seems to be sending out some weird messages and raising many questions. The main issue is that it's OK to **** children as long as they don't look like children???

So what does the law protect children having sex from? Is it physical damage or mental damage? What if this guy was a Brown Person from Rochdale, would everyone still be this sympathetic to the guy?

This.

 

[IvanDobskey]

Whilst the guy may not have actually set out to knowingly have sex with a child, i doubt he was exactly being careful.

Ok so he's probably a bit horrified to find out she's as young as 12, not even a teenager. But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

There is no way i would ever have ended up in this situation.

 

[Angilion]

Whilst the guy may not have actually set out to knowingly have sex with a child, i doubt he was exactly being careful.

Ok so he's probably a bit horrified to find out she's as young as 12, not even a teenager. But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

There is no way i would ever have ended up in this situation.

There are two themes repeated amongst people who think he should be punished for believing a very plausible lie:

1) Casual sex is wrong and anything that makes people too scared to do it is a good thing.
2) The belief that they are better than everyone else and couldn't possibly be conned...or the fear that they would easily be conned being covered up by loudly proclaiming that they could never be conned by anyone.

Your claim that police officers, a judge, bar staff, door staff, a taxi driver and various other people are all incompetent, gullible and careless is so flimsy that I doubt you really believe it yourself. I think you're more (1) than (2). Some of both, but mostly (1).

 

[tom_e]

Whilst the guy may not have actually set out to knowingly have sex with a child, i doubt he was exactly being careful.

Ok so he's probably a bit horrified to find out she's as young as 12, not even a teenager. But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

There is no way i would ever have ended up in this situation.

His life has been ruined by having his name plastered across the press as a child rapist and you can guarantee the guy will now be far too wary to sleep with any random ever again. There you go, he's been punished and he won't do it again which is the whole point of punishment is it not? or does he just need some extra lynching just because?

 

[Hiijinx]

Really feel sorry for this guy - but what angers me most however is the fact the judge could dismiss it under "exceptional circumstances" yet could not do the same thing about keeping his identity secret. The girl who got him into this remained unknown due to her age but its not her life which has been basically ruined - and with a Polish sounding surname I fear he may get twice the hatred in the upcoming months.

It doesn't matter if its true or not, once in the press your buggered either way.

 

[Efour]

Whilst the guy may not have actually set out to knowingly have sex with a child, i doubt he was exactly being careful.

Ok so he's probably a bit horrified to find out she's as young as 12, not even a teenager. But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

There is no way i would ever have ended up in this situation.

What motherboard have you got? lol

 

[TheVoice]

There is no way i would ever have ended up in this situation.

Indeed, she'd have walked straight past you.

 

[Guest2]

Interesting case. I think it was the correct decision by the judge

 

[dowie]

But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

Why?

 

[Phemo]

W But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

Arguably he's got his punishment. The judge may have let him off, but this incident is still going to follow him around for the rest of his days and he will have a hard time because of it.

Personally, I think it was the right decision but his life is still pretty much ruined anyway.

 

[Jones]

Whilst the guy may not have actually set out to knowingly have sex with a child, i doubt he was exactly being careful.

Ok so he's probably a bit horrified to find out she's as young as 12, not even a teenager. But i suspect his attitude needs some adjustment shall we say. He needs some sort of punishment at the very least.

There is no way i would ever have ended up in this situation.

What makes you think this based on the information available? I don't understand why you think this.