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You are here: News front page > Miliband calls for Clarke's head


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Miliband calls for Clarke's head

Miliband calls for Clarke's head

Ken Clarke has said he considers all rapes as “serious” after Ed Miliband called for him to be sacked over controversial remarks he made about rape sentencing. Number 10 has apologised for Mr Clarke, saying: "If people have been offended by those comments then clearly that's regrettable." The Prime Minister is said to have confidence in Mr Clarke.


The Justice Secretary earlier stopped short of making a full public apology for his comments, but has written to the tearful radio 5live caller and rape victim he appeared with saying: "I am sorry if my comments gave you any other impression or upset you." Speaking to Sky News, Mr Clarke said:  “I’ll make sure I give my views more clearly in future." He denied he had been asked to apologise by No 10.


Yvette Cooper and Sadiq Khan, the shadow home and justice secretaries, have called on Mr Clarke to drop  sentencing plans that would see reduced sentences for sexual offenders who plead guilty. However, Conservative MP Claire Perry claimed that Labour had introduced plea bargaining schemes for sexual offenders when they were in Government.

 

Mr Clarke provoked outrage after he distinguished between "serious rape" and other cases, and admitted he had not asked any victims their opinion on discounting sentences for those who plead guilty to rape.

The controversy comes over new proposals which could see rapists have their sentences halved if they plead guilty.

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Leave a comment...

Anna

A 14/15 year old having sex with her boyfriend is classed as rape in law - is that the same as a woman/man dragged off the street and gang raped - I don't think so. So yes, there are varying degrees of rape IMO

Disgrace
  • 19:53 |
  • 18 May 2011
  • 0

Anna it is pathetic that you seek to defend Ken Clarks disgraceful remarks and David Camerons vapid shilly shallying just because of your political bias. 

Shell

What Anna said is fact - not defending KC or otherwise.  A compliant loving relationship between a fifteen and sixteen year old can not be compared to a woman being violently raped by a stranger, acquaintance or husband.  No point pretending otherwise just to get at Ken Clarke.  Political debate in this country is so pathetic.  Nothing ever thought out, just instant verbal abuse and denials, whatever the opponent has said, on all sides of every argument.  Shame.

Julie

Having read the transcript of the interview I am puzzled. At no point did Ken Clarke say rapes were not "serious crime". He did say that some sort of rapes were different to others which is stating the obvious. What is more concerning is that only 6% of rapes are tried and convicted, that a man falsely accused of rape has his reputation destroyed but the woman usually gets a very lenient sentence and the leader of the opposition tries to make political capital out of such an emotive subject.

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