Though Russell Brand now sits in a cell at HMP Wandsworth, dandy waistcoats swapped for a prison-issue grey tracksuit, the reverberations from his case continue.
asserted
reverberations → sit → case
Most of us now know the grim details about the anal rape for which he is serving most of his ten-and-a-half-year sentence.
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he → know → sentence
The way he flipped the woman over, tore off his condom and forced himself on her, causing immense pain.
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he → flip → pain
We know that she was told, horribly, to ‘clear up the mess’ left by the act.
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she → know → act
We know it has caused her years of suffering.
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it → know → suffering
We heard, too, about the consensual acts the woman had engaged in.
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woman → hear → acts
After meeting Brand on a night out she and a friend had performed oral sex on him.
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she → meet → him
Days later she went to his house and agreed to vaginal sex before the rape happened.
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rape → go → sex
Many have lauded the Brand verdict as a watershed moment, making clear once and for all that a woman’s behaviour prior to a sex assault is irrelevant.
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behaviour → laud → assault
And it is, according to the law.
uncertain
it → accord → law
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 makes clear that consent means agreeing by choice, with the freedom and capacity to make that choice.
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means → make → choice
A woman can have consensual sex with a man and refuse a different sexual act.
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woman → have → act
Her previous sexual history does not establish consent.
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history → establish → consent
She can say no at any time – including during sex.
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She → say → sex
This is how consent is viewed in the eyes of the law.
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consent → view → law
But let us be frank.
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us → let → ?
The eyes of the law are different from the eyes of some men – especially when drunk and aroused.
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eyes → arouse → men
And I fear that the high-profile nature of this case may lead some young women to feel a false sense of empowerment.
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nature → fear → empowerment
To believe that – just as the jury correctly respected the victim’s right to say no at any time – so will any potential sexual partner.
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partner → believe → time
This will lead them into dangerous situations.
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This → lead → situations
Many have lauded the Russell Brand verdict as a watershed moment, making clear once and for all that a woman’s behaviour prior to a sex assault is irrelevant, writes Clare Foges
I can hear the thunder of a thousand fingers tapping out furious responses on social media: You’re blaming the victims!
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You → laud → victims
No, no, I am stating the bleeding obvious, which is that where women can minimise their risk of being assaulted – such as not engaging in sex acts with a man they don’t know well or going home with them – they should do so.
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they → state → them
We minimise the risk of fraud by not giving out our bank details.
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We → minimise → details
We minimise the risk of theft with locks and alarms.
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We → minimise → locks
And we must minimise the risk of sexual assault by being aware that there are men like Brand who see women as objects to be used.
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who → minimise → objects
Given that most sex attacks are perpetrated by someone the victim knows, you cannot eliminate risk but you can minimise it.
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you → give → it
This is not a suggestion that those who do go home with a man or indeed start having sex with him are ‘asking for it’ if things turn nasty and a consensual act turns into an attack.
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act → go → attack
The blame always, solely and squarely, lies with the perpetrator.
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blame → lie → perpetrator
The victim bears not one iota of blame.
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victim → bear → blame
But do we serve young women by pretending that every aroused man while engaged in the act of sex is always going to respect your legal right to withdraw consent at any time? Or that those who have had their sexual drives addled by years of watching violent hardcore pornography are going to continually seek a woman’s consent?
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drives → serve → consent
This is not in any way to excuse their behaviour.
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This → excuse → behaviour
It shouldn’t be the case that ‘no’ doesn’t always work.
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no → work → ?
It is disgusting that ‘no’ sometimes doesn’t work.
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no → work → ?
But what I will be instructing my own daughters when they are older is this: please do not put yourself in a position of danger in the first place.
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they → instruct → place
Yes, flirt, wear what you want, have a few drinks, have fun.
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you → flirt → fun
But if you are intending to go home with a man who is not well known to you, be aware that your ‘no’ may not have the power you think it has.
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it → intend → power
Indeed I will be telling them to never, ever go home with a man they don’t know well.
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they → tell → man
Of course keeping yourself safe is easier said than done.
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keeping → keep → yourself
Men you do know well can also be predators.
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you → know → ?
It’s sadly impossible to eliminate risk altogether but the point is to take sensible measures when you can.
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you → ’ → measures
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
