Rape

Rape is a vile crime and I am pleased to see that there has been a call for each police force to have a rape squad. The current conviction rate of about 6% is far far too low and a lot of sexual attackers are escaping.

However, any change in the policy must be fair - genuine, serious cases such as http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7496600.stm must be investigated properly and the offender, in my view jailed, but there must be fairness to men as well.

There are, in my view, enormous difficulties in defining "consensual sex". The, possibly cliched but probably true, issue of the involvement of alcohol for instance. The problem of his word against hers etc etc. These are all well-worn paths but both justice and fairness must be seen to be done.