The term “sexual assault” in the United States and United Kingdom has two distinctly different meanings. In the United States, “sexual assault” refers to an instance when a person engages in non-consensual sex with another individual. In the United Kingdom, on the other hand, “sexual assault” is used to refer to an instance when a person engages in non-consensual sex with another person who is not spouse or partner. More specifically, “sexual assault” is used to describe any instance when a person either engages in non-consensual sex with another person who is not spouse or partner or if he/she coerces, persuades, or forces someone else to engage in any kind of sexual act.
The first and most common definition of “sexual assault” in both the United States and the United Kingdom is that of non-consensual sex. Basically, “sexual assault” involves any instance when a person engages in any kind of sexual contact or sexual acts without the consent of his/her partner or spouse. This includes instances when a person knowingly engages in sexual acts with a person whom he knows or believes does not consent to such sexual contact or acts. Engaging in sexual acts with someone if you know or believe that he/she does not consent to that sexual contact is also considered to be sexual assault. Furthermore, forcing or coercing someone into any kind of sexual act against his/her will is also considered to be sexual assault.
However, sexual assault can also have a gray area. For example, some people believe that being raped is not really a sexual act. Under these circumstances, “rape” and “sexual assault” may have different meaning and could overlap. Similarly, some people consider oral sex to be sexual intercourse and therefore, oral sex between a married couple is not defined as “rape.” Similarly, many people believe that having sex with one’s own brother or sister is not a sexual act. While these two scenarios are understandable, they do highlight the fact that there is often a gray area when it comes to defining sexual assault.
Another example is consent. Some elements of sexual assault are not related to whether or not the victim gave prior permission for sexual contact or intercourse. If the accused is guilty of forcing or persuading someone to perform a sexual act without consent, regardless of whether the victim gave the permission beforehand, he/she can be charged with sexual assault. Similarly, if the accused used physical force against the victim, regardless of whether the victim gave the permission for the sexual contact, he/she can be charged with sexual assault. It is also possible to be charged with this crime if you had sexual contact with a person who did not want to engage in such activity or did not give express consent for sexual contact to take place.
If you have been charged with this crime, the first thing to do is to contact a qualified criminal defense lawyer. Sexual assault involves a lot of complex legal issues and it is best to get the right advice from a professional. The majority of Sexual Assault cases involve at least two suspects; one who are accused of sexual contact and one who are accused of force for sexual contact or intercourse. It is important that you understand what your situation is and that you contact a sexual assault defense attorney as soon as possible.
A conviction for this crime can have severe consequences, such as a period of incarceration, heavy fines and even loss of livelihood. Therefore, it is vitally important that you contact a skilled sexual assault lawyer as soon as you suspect that you have been accused of this crime. The consequences of a conviction are severe, and they can often be more than you can bear. Hiring a top sexual assault attorney can help you put this situation behind you so that you can focus on rebuilding your life.
Age of Consent in UK
If we look at the statistics from the National AIDS Trust and other similar organizations, it is clear to see that there is indeed a rise in sexually active teenagers and adults in the United Kingdom. Yes, I have heard about condoms being used more often, but that does not change the fact that still so many of us younger people are engaging in unprotected sex and not even bothering to wear protective condoms. No, screw you. I am 16 (oldest age of consent in UK) and would prefer casual sex over going to a night club filled with drug addicts. I also do not mind being the only person in my friends circle that gets pregnant, since there is no guarantee that I will be able to have children in the future either.
However, it is clear from the above that there has been and will continue to be, an increase in the number of incidents reported regarding rape, sexual offences and other serious sexual crimes committed by those belonging to the younger generation. It has also been noted that as age of consent laws are liberalized, more young people get involved in these activities. The justification given by some on the subject matter is that as such there is a greater likelihood of young people engaging in such acts, and therefore the government has a duty of care to protect them. Others argue that as such there is also a violation of certain human rights guaranteed under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Whatever the reason, irresponsible sex among teenagers and adults has become a reality in the UK thanks to what is known as ‘age of consent’. The age of consent in UK is 14 years old, however it is believed that this is already too low. Why not start promoting the age of consent at a much higher level. Some people say that this is a waste of time and taxpayers’ monies, and therefore such laws should not exist. However, there are certain states in the UK that actually have their own age of consent laws, like the state of California, which has a law that “no person shall engage in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of eighteen.”
Sexting in Schools
The practice of sending text messages or “sexting” amongst teenagers has come under fire recently due to the issue of cyber-violence and bullying. There are many schools across the country which have cancelled programs that offered students the opportunity to send text messages or receive text messages from one another. Some high schools have also made decisions to implement strict codes of conduct and zero tolerance towards inappropriate sexting. These schools are making a real effort to combat sexting and to implement policies that are designed to limit the number of sexting incidents that occur on their campuses.
A group of UK councils have now taken steps to implement guidelines that will help to curb sexting. The National Crime Reduction Strategy (NCRSP), a government body which is responsible for crime prevention, has now drafted guidelines for schools to implement so that they can help to tackle this problem. The NCRSP developed a code of practice for schools to follow, including stipulating that schools provide clear and consistent guidance and information to their students on how to behave on social-networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. It also recommended that schools develop and deploy protocols that encourage communication and respect for others. It is hoped that these procedures will reduce the amount of grooming and sexual imagery that occurs on school property.
Schools have been given a deadline of June to start developing their policy on sexting. If no concrete plans for a new policy are put forward by the end of the current academic year then the existing guidance on sexting may be reviewed, with a view to scrapping it altogether. Education experts have urged that this step should not be taken, arguing that there are already enough policy and guidance in place. An independent survey has suggested that there is a marked increase in the number of complaints about inappropriate sexual imagery and messages on social networking sites. Many parents have raised concerns that this new focus on sexting could lead to a reduction in free communication between children and their peers and could put them at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted or exploited.
Prostitution in the United Kingdom
Prostitution in the United Kingdom (the UK, United States and Australia) is considered to be an illegal activity and those who indulge in it can face criminal prosecution. In the United Kingdom, the act of soliciting for sex for money or other services from a person who is engaged in prostitution is illegal, but some of related activities, such as pimping, broaching and pandering, are tolerated. The demand for prostitution in the United Kingdom has led to an increase in criminal activity related to it, especially where children are involved. For example, in some areas of the country young women are being forced into prostitution by criminals and may end up being the victims of trafficking.
A recent raid by the police in the north of England led to the arrest of a well-known brothel operator. Police found that the man had been running a brothel where over 300 women were working. Some of them were aged fifteen to twenty-four and many of them were married. He had taken some bride fees from the men who had come to him for prostitution. The police made eight further arrests as suspects in connection with the brothel.
The brothel operator was charged with brothelkeeping by the police and he was released on bail. All other suspects in the case were also released. All of the suspected offenders are due to appear in court on the date of next hearing. This case is an example of the lack of action by the police when tackling prostitution related offenses in the UK. It is believed that there could be hundreds of such brothel operations operating in the UK.