US judge prompts outrage after saying: ‘If she didn’t want sex, her body should have just shut down’ [View all]
US judge prompts outrage after saying: ‘If she didn’t want sex, her body should have just shut down’ in rape case, and reducing sentence of attacker by ten years
A US judge has prompted outrage after saying that a rape victim didn't put up a fight during her assault and that if someone doesn't want sex, the body 'will not permit that to happen.'
Judge Derek Johnson's comments, which echo those of outgoing U.S. representative Todd Akin, who used the phrase 'legitimate rape' and said women who are the victims of rape rarely get pregnant, have drawn widespread condemnation.
The states Commission on Judicial Performance has also attacked the the judge for taking ten years off the recommended sentence for the rapist in the case, imposing a six-year sentence instead.
...
According to police reports Judge Johnson said: 'I’m not a gynecologist, but I can tell you something, if someone doesn’t want to have sexual intercourse, the body shuts down. The body will not permit that to happen unless a lot of damage in inflicted, and we heard nothing about that in this case.
'That tells me that the victim in this case, although she wasn’t necessarily willing, she didn’t put up a fight.'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-judge-prompts-outrage-after-saying-if-she-didnt-want-sex-her-body-should-have-just-shut-down-in-rape-case-and-reducing-sentence-of-attacker-by-ten-years-8414674.html
= new reply since forum marked as read