Those of you who were fans of Rufus Thomas back in the late 60s will appreciate the irony of this report from the Oxford Mail.

“A WOMAN was raped while walking her dog through a village sports field.”

Her attacker forced her to perform a sex act on him, by telling her that he had a knife……

What is of interest is that:

All such attacks are now classified as rape by police.

Robin Saunders, owner of Evenlode DIY in High Street, said: “It will make a big difference to the dog walkers who use that field. It is a very popular field to use.
“My wife was thinking of getting a dog to go walking with, but I will have to talk to her.”

I cannot make my mind up whether the journalist responsible for this report is aged around 19 and a heavy metal fan, or aged around 60 and laughing their socks off…..

Zelazny August 18,
2010 at 12:17

I think the situation legally is that Rape still requires that the
perpetrator penetrates the victim with his penis. Women cannot commit rape,
technically (although a man can be a victim of rape).

What I suspect is happening though is that targets have been set, so the
police are instructed to arrest people for rape where there is any form of
sexual assault. This could then be dropped down to a lesser charge when it
comes to formally charging the suspect – but it looks good for the stats
(“Rape arrests up by 50%!”).

Colonel Blimp
August 18, 2010 at 09:00

I believe this sort of thing is known as “dogging” !!!

john malpas August 18, 2010 at 01:37

What kind of dog did she have?
A proper dog would have sorted things
out.

Hysteria August 18, 2010 at 01:17

hmmmmm……seems to me that re-defining rape as “any unwanted sexual behaviour
” opens up a whole new can of worms. Would it not be easier to redefine the
sentencing guidelines? But this also has links back to the Sandwell litter
post in that it implies the Police (and others ?) are making up new law “on
the fly”………

tricky…

Subrosa August 17,
2010 at 19:42

I’m an over 60 laughing my socks off.

Thaddeus J.
Wilson August 17, 2010 at 19:41

Sounds like a shaggy dog story to me!

Joe Public August 17, 2010 at 18:46

If it was enforced fellatio, he was taking an incredible risk that she
wouldn’t suddenly suffer acute Lockjaw.

Eleanor August 17, 2010 at 17:45

I don’t know if any of you know this, but until fairly recently Buggery was
merely a Sexual Assault with a lighter prison sentence. Could still be for all
I know.

PJH August 17,
2010 at 13:00

Eynsham Parish Council chairman Gordon Beach said last night:

English Viking
August 17, 2010 at 18:16

He is the Chairman of a parish Council, therefore he IS an idiot.

JuliaM August 17,
2010 at 12:34

So, it would previously be classed as a sexual assault, I presume?

When they say ‘all such attacks’, do they mean all sexual assaults ( in
which case, it’s no wonder the rape figures have shot up!) or all sexual
assaults where a knife is brandished for compliance?

*confused*

Anna
Raccoon August 17, 2010 at 12:57

Julia, I strongly suspect that all ‘attacks’ that have a sexual
componement – in the same manner as all attacks that have a racial
componenent – are now classified as rape. Interesting n’est ce
pas?
Detection rates should shoot up too – it is nowhere near as hard to
catch the man who say ‘giss us a bl** job, love’ in front of his four mates
– as it might have been to catch that infidel, the man we think of as a
rapist.
Incidentally, no one said that he actually brandished the
knife……..he merely claimed to have one.