Eddie Shah says underage girls can be blamed for some rapes
TODAY founder, Eddy Shah, has said that under-age girls who engage in consensual sex can be “to blame” for any rapes that come their way. He was offering his opinion on the subject after he was cleared of raping a schoolgirl in London hotels when she was between 12 and 15.
He said:
“Anybody walking down the street can point at a celebrity and say, ‘he raped me’. If we take the pop groups and people of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, who everybody knows that women were throwing themselves at them – young girls who looked 17, 18, 19 and 20…
“Rape was a technical thing – below a certain age. But these girls were going out with the pop groups and becoming groupies and all the rest of it, and throwing themselves at them. You cannot put that down to the fact they’ve been abused.
“Young girls and young men have always wanted a bit of excitement when they are young. They want to appear adult and do adult things.”
So under-age victims are at fault?
“If we’re talking about girls who go out and just have a good time, then they are to blame. If we talk about people who happen to be out and actually get ‘raped’ raped, then I feel no – and everything should be done against that.”
Of course, one should point out that adults should avoid having sex with people if they’re in doubt about someone’s age because, y’know, a bit of resolve goes a long way.
The NSPCC’s Jon Brown was pretty furious about Mr Shah’s comments, saying:
“If we start talking about gradations of rape, it’s extremely concerning. Mr Shah’s also completely incorrect. A young person under the age of 16 cannot give consent to sexual activity.”
“We are talking about child abuse or we’re talking about rape, it’s as simple as that.”
Pete Saunders, chief executive of the National Association of People Abused in Childhood, told the BBC:
“I’d like to meet with Eddie, and to have him explain to me, and maybe explain to some rape victims, what he means by ‘raped raped’, because my understanding is there is rape, or there is not rape, and rape is always a crime.”
It’s worth noting that Mr Shah has been helping a ‘very well known celebrity’ who has been arrested under Operation Yewtree, not that he’s got an extra vested interest in these matters.
Posted: 14th, August 2013 | In: Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
