WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols has welcomed the news that the so-called “rough sex” defence is to be banned.
She backed the campaign calling for the “rough sex” defence to be scrapped and gave her name to amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill (New Clause 4- New Clause 11), which resulted in the law change.
A growing number of women are being seriously injured and killed during so-called ‘sex games gone wrong’.
The campaign group, We Can’t Consent To This, collated 60 examples of women “who were killed during so-called ‘sex games gone wrong'” in the UK since 1972. 45% of these cases ended in a lesser charge of manslaughter, a lighter sentence or the death not being investigated as a crime at all.
Currently the law says if someone kills another person during sexual activity they could be charged with manslaughter alone. To murder someone, there needs to have been an intention to kill that person or to cause them grievous bodily harm (GBH).
In response to the campaign and amendments, the Government have published a new clause announcing that the defence would be outlawed under the new Domestic Abuse Bill.
Ms Nichols MP said: “We have secured a huge win on the Domestic Abuse Bill, with the Government backing the amendments to ban the so-called “rough sex” defence.
“This change will stop those who kill or inflict extreme violence on their partners from getting away with it by claiming they were “asking for it”.
“I am proud to have been one of the names on amendments New Clause 4-New Clause 11, which led to the change, and to have stood with campaigners and MPs across the House in securing this important change to the law.
“This landmark win will bring an end to this shameful victim-blaming period of our history, and help ensure perpetrators of domestic abuse are held accountable.”
