Random Rants ΠΑ: That's a paddlin'

[Commodore]

For the UNM Lobos that would mean a 2-6 season and an empty stadium.

NCAA Football 14 simulates them pretty well then...

 

[Takhisis]

Argh, the Xenforo multipost bug has struck again, making triple copies of a post appear instead of the usual 2.

 

[Synobun]

Argh, the Xenforo multipost bug has struck again, making triple copies of a post appear instead of the usual 2.

Mafia!

 

[Broken_Erika]

Argh, the Xenforo multipost bug has struck again, making triple copies of a post appear instead of the usual 2.

Did it also do that fun thing where it deletes all 3 posts when you just try to delete one?

 

[Takhisis]

I deleted one and was left with one, so…

 

[Ajidica]

What the hell Spain....

A court in Barcelona has acquitted five men accused of gang-raping a 14 year old girl of the charge of sexual assault.
Under Spanish law, an offence can only be considered rape or sexual assault if physical force or intimidation is used.

The court ruled they had not committed rape because the victim was in an "unconscious state" and they did not need to use violence.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50257922

 

[Birdjaguar]

Roofies for the win!

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I hope they fix that law quickly.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I hope they fix that law quickly.

This is not the first outrageous case (not) prosecuted under this law so I think quickly is out. At this point we are left to hope for eventually and that it comes pretty soon.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I still don't see how incapacitating her with drugs doesn't somehow count as using force, though.

 

[Takhisis]

As the article says, the law requires ‘physical’ force.

…

 

[Ferocitus]

Remember: the case is not complete until all appeal processes are exhausted.
However, it's time that Spanish law was updated to include "sexual assault without consent" as rape, as it is in many other countries.
A heavily intoxicated person is deemed to be unable to give consent.
(All according to my learned colleague at home.)

 

[EgonSpengler]

I still don't see how incapacitating her with drugs doesn't somehow count as using force, though.

I was thinking something along those lines. Even if a person is incapacitated because they took drugs or alcohol, if I were a judge I would say that just means the degree of physical force required was minimal (e.g. removing clothing, or even just moving a limb). Even though the law clearly has its head up its own [tailpipe] re: consent, I think the judge also demonstrated a willingness, if not an eagerness, to let the perpetrators go. I'm reminded of the d-bag former-judge in California who let the rapist off because a conviction would've ruined his life.

 

[MaryKB]

I still don't see how incapacitating her with drugs doesn't somehow count as using force, though.

There are still places in the world where if you get raped, you are prosecuted for adultery and might be executed for your heinous crime.

 

[Lexicus]

Obviously, the US should invade Spain and install a democratic government which will protect Spain's women....what? no oil? meh nevermind

 

[MaryKB]

I poked my eye with my mascara, and beyond the stinging I made quite a mess of my face. Concealer to the rescue at least!

Then I couldn't find my favorite lipstick (a liquid plumping gloss) ... I was going crazy, I thought maybe I took it somewhere else in the house in case I needed a touch up later? Turns out one of my cats knocked it under the dresser.

At least now I'm (mostly) ready to go out. Because of my blunder I ended up having more layers than I'd like, but not much I could do about that.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Obviously, the US should invade Spain and install a democratic government which will protect Spain's women....what? no oil? meh nevermind

Strangley enough, this is the one time when Donald Trump is honest: We're not withdrawing troops from Syria after all, we're just ditching the Kurds to protect the oil instead.

 

[JohannaK]

This is less a case of the law being permissive and more a case of the judge taking advantage of it to be permissive.

Rape of course is inherently violent, so saying there was none is a heinous excuse.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

At a previous court hearing, the girl said she remembered very little of what happened but that one of the men had been brandishing a gun.

 

[Ferocitus]

This is less a case of the law being permissive and more a case of the judge taking advantage of it to be permissive.

Rape of course is inherently violent, so saying there was none is a heinous excuse.

Sorry, but you are misinformed on several points. You need to read the details of the case more closely, however that is very difficult given how most media outlets report these controversial and appalling cases.

It wasn't one judge taking advantage of it to be permissive. There were a panel of judges.

Furthermore, the judges were surprised that the prosecutors changed the charge at the last minute to sexual assault from the initial accusation of sexual abuse.
They said they could not see the reasons for the more serious assault offence in the prosecution's arguments.

It is quite possible that the prosecution decided to opt for the lesser charge instead of trying to get sentences of an extra few years for assault instead of abuse.

The accused were convicted and jailed for the lesser crime of sexual abuse and sentenced to between 10 and 12 years in prison.
A conviction for sexual assault would have carried prison sentences of between 15 and 20 years.

Of course, the law should be refined to include lack of consent due to heavy intoxication as rape, but courts don't make laws - that's a job for politicians.