Compensation reduced?

[Essexeddie]

In the news a woman has kept all her compensation for being the victim of a rape, after initially having had it reduced as she was considered to have 'contributed' or been 'negligent' (I don't know what term was used) due to her being under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Probably fair enough in her case as she was assaulted by a complete stranger on her way home. It might not have made any difference whether she was fully sober and alert, or teetering in an erratic manner on her high-heels - she could have been targeted by this thug regardless.

However, now the 'right-on' campaigners are saying "that a victim of rape is never, in any way, responsible for the crime" regardless of her possibly being blind drunk.

Hmm. I understand that most of these types of assaults are by people the victim knows/has just met/has been in a group with. And if you behave like the 'lady' in these brilliant anti-drink campaign ads shown recently, then - sorry - you almost certainly are being eyed up as a possible sh*g by some in your group (not for 'rape' as such, but as being 'easy'.)

So, you can fall-on-your-face drunk (and we all know how ones judgement can be distorted in these conditions) and not be in any way 'responsible' for what may happen to you?

What if, say, you were a bloke who was making his way home - staggering from pillar to post - and was mugged as an obviously easy target for your wallet? Were you in any way even partially 'contributing' to the likelihood of this happening to you?

Ok, take it a little further - you get to your front door, fumble for your keys, drop them, and you're on your hands and knees trying to locate them when an opportunist thief grabs them and runs?

Have you 'contributed' at any stage to the crime or been 'negligent'?

If you have, then so has she.

Over to you Lisa. Hehehe

.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Eddie,

You make some interesting comparisons.

In my view though where a situation arises where a person or persons have choice between acting criminally or to be law abiding, the choice is a conscious decision and the perpetrator must accept responsibility for their actions.

The victim may have been reckless in allowing them selves to become incapacitated, and that may have made the crime easier to perpetrate, but the choice is still the perpetrator and not the victims.

It therefore matters not what state of incapacity any victim is in, as they are not the ones deciding to act criminally.

The criminal injuries and compensations board were wrong to reduce compensation awards, because the victim was not fully alert.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Sad part about it is that at one time it was an offence to be drunk and incapable. Maybe if this was still a punishable offence it might have saved her from the situation.

Those days are long gone, even when thrown out of nightclubs for being off their faces the doormen ring 999 for an ambulance, it's not good for business seeing piles of bodies heaping up outside the club. That's why I hated working nights at the weekend, all we were was gutter clearers and the only place we had to take them was A&E, clogging up the beds and filling the places with vomit and urine. Unbelievably people ask me if I miss my job .... heh! heh! heh!

I'm not a religious person but everyday I thank God that I'm no longer part of it. These new paramedics must wonder whats hit them when they get on the road, they must think life is like they see on Casualty or Holby City. Welcome to reality.

 

[Oldfogey]

It still is an offence to be drunk.

It is also an offence for a licensee to serve alcohol to someone who is drunk.

But laws are no use unless they are enforced.

 

[Bigfoot]

Sad part about it is that at one time it was an offence to be drunk and incapable. Maybe if this was still a punishable offence it might have saved her from the situation.

Those days are long gone, even when thrown out of nightclubs for being off their faces the doormen ring 999 for an ambulance, it's not good for business seeing piles of bodies heaping up outside the club. That's why I hated working nights at the weekend, all we were was gutter clearers and the only place we had to take them was A&E, clogging up the beds and filling the places with vomit and urine. Unbelievably people ask me if I miss my job .... heh! heh! heh!

I'm not a religious person but everyday I thank God that I'm no longer part of it. These new paramedics must wonder whats hit them when they get on the road, they must think life is like they see on Casualty or Holby City. Welcome to reality.

Your Lordship, I get the impression you were a blue lighter. Were you in green or blue?