Rape Case: Sack Judge Richards
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-01-14Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 7 →
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(Women against Violence against Women).
THE JUDGMENT of Justice Bertrand Richards = on convicted rapist John Allen is outrageous.
It is an insult to all women. It allows this rapist to go free to attack other women. It will certainly not deter other men, in fact it constitutes a licence for men to rape women.
It denies women freedom and is a dangerous precedent which withholds from wom en legal protection against violent crime.
Rape is a violent crime, and one which over the last ten years has risen dramatically. Its scars may or may nọt be visible, but can last a lifetime. A fine is not an appropriate sentence for violent crime.
In finding the raped woman guilty of 'contributory negligence' the judge has found her guilty of being a woman. We, as women, refuse to accept responsibility for acts of male violence committed against women.
The judge's remarks and those of Melford Stevenson amount to an attempt to put It is men, not women, who should be subject to curfew.
Women have the right to go where they will, travel as they please. We demand that the law protects our fights, and punishes those who attack us:
Women angry at this sentence have protested agagainst this demonstration of male bias in the law outside the Royal Courts of injustice.
Women have marched through Soho, reclaiming the night, to show that we have the right to use the streets at any time we choose.
On Monday January 18 there will be a march and mass lobby of parliament by women to express their anger over the failure of the law to recognise this case of male violence as a serious crime. We will be demanding:
1. the sacking of Judge Richards, who showed such a clear prejudice against women;
2. Mandatory prison for rapists: men should not walk freely from a court of law to rape again.
ical The 3. That male violence against women should be recognised as a serious political issue.
All women angered by this case are invitad to join this lobby. Assemble 2pm, Speakers' Corner: 2.30pm, march to the House of Commons; 3.30pm lobby of MPs; 6pm meeting in the House of Commons.
Protest, give voice to your anger, lobby your MP on January 18. Note: tr is is an all-women protest lobby.
Darlington Women in strugg stru
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a curfew on women, It is men, not women, who, rape.