PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
SITUATION SURROUNDING THE CRIME OF RAPE IN THE UK (29 November 2005)

That this House expresses deep concern at the worrying situation surrounding the crime of rape in this country; commends Amnesty International's report which records 13,000 rapes reported last year, which the British Crime Survey estimates is about 15 per cent. of the total number of rapes committed; notes that the conviction rate for rape is 5.6 per cent., the lowest ever recorded, whilst in 1977 a third of reported rapes led to a conviction; is appalled at the survey of attitude to rape, with a worrying number of people regarding women as being partially responsible for being raped if they are intoxicated or dress or behave in a certain way; condemns the outcome of the recent case which collapsed after the victim acknowledged that she had been too drunk to remember whether she had consented to sex which contradicts the amendment made two years ago which made it explicit that consent to sex requires the `freedom and capacity to make choice'; expresses alarm over the recent admission by chief police officers that there is still very little specialist provision for rape victims; believes unequivocally that there is never any excuse or justification for rape and that rape is entirely the fault of the rapist and not the victim; and calls for more to be done to change attitudes, to make more specialist provision for rape victims and to ensure higher rates of conviction with firmer sentences to send a very clear message that the abhorrent crime of rape will not be tolerated.

Sponsored by:
Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat)