I’m not sure how widely it’s known that you can find online Hansard reports within about three hours of when it happens… It’s on the parliament website.
Here’s the question I asked the Home Secretary today, and her (OK, in fact pretty good) answer.
Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab):
Over the Christmas and new year period, there seemed to be an abundance of adverts and public information campaigns telling women how they could avoid being raped or sexually assaulted—for example, by not drinking too much or dressing in a certain way. Does the Home Secretary agree that this gives out entirely the wrong message—that victims are somehow responsible for the crimes being perpetrated against them—and that we ought to be sending out the message that it is never okay for men to assault women?
Mrs May:
I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady that we need to send out a very clear message that sexual violence against men or women is wrong. These are abhorrent crimes—rape is an abhorrent crime—and we should be doing all we can to stop them. I also agree that, although it is necessary to ensure that women, particularly young women, are aware of the potential dangers and circumstances in which they could be at risk and that they take appropriate action, it is the perpetrator of such crimes whom we should be bringing to justice. It is the perpetrator who is at fault, and we should never forget that.
Comments
May is tough as nails and I’ve long tipped her as Cameron’s successor, possibly in a still more falangist Toryish Party. The last person to take responsibility in an accident.
Nice question Kerry!