Comments on: Gay Radio 4 presenter raped New Year party man, court told

By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:37:00 +0000

Rob, I agree with your entirely. In this day and age, I find it hard to believe that a male can rape another male unless more than two people are involved or when there is no weapon or drug used to force or compel the other to submit to such an awful ordeal. The law is flawed and needs to be changed.

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:06:00 +0000

Well, Mr D Higley, you’d do well to be extremely careful what you suggest that Nigel Wrench has done to your friend in view of the fact that a court has decided that the accusations were untrue. It is all very easy to post comments on here purporting to be the truth, when in reality they present a very one sided view of events.None of us here know what really happened and I would assume that as you appear from reports not to have been present either. We all get our information third hand relayed through others. The only people who do actually know are you friend and Mr Wrench. I think we have to accept that the court, having heard more information from all sides about it than us has decided that Mr Wrench was not guilty.A word of advice to your friend for the future might be, not to get himself in situations where people can potentially take advantage from him in this way. Knocking off the showbiz sherbet at parties would maybe be a good start and if he’s interested in art, he might like to try a gallery rather than trekking off to a stranger’s house alone to look at some. Drugs lower a person’s inhibitions and sometimes make us do things we would not do in the cold light of day. I’m sure that rings true for your friend and I hope he learns from it.A word of advice for you, if I were Mr Wretch I would be making every effort to identify who you are in order to take action for libel, so it might be best to knock off making accusations against individuals that you cannot prove in court. Your friend had his chance to convince a court of the truth of the allegations and he failed t do so.

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By: rob foster

rob foster — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:10:00 +0000

Its just crazy. I would never have believed what could happen in the UK until it happened to a close friend of mine.The accuser can make up any off the wall story (for any number of reasons) about not being consenting to a fairly harmless sexual act (giving a blow job, for instance … as if you can force a MAN to give a blow job!!!) and suddenly the newspapers present the made up account as 'fact', with some sort of weak disclaimer like '… a court was told' at the end of a paragraph of salacious accusations. In due course there is no evidence to prove the allegation … yet the taint remains ion the accused, while often the real criminal, the fantasising accuser, bears no penalty.In due course this new law will be revised, but in the meantime it will damage so many innocent people because it offers a clear opportunity for embittered sexual partners to accuse the other person of something that even if never proved was not done consensually, will at least destroy that other person with the taint of accusation.The law should really only concern itself in cases where proof of abuse is indisputable, otherwise any nutter that wants to accusel their sexual partner of being a rapist automatically gets the law behind them.

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By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:21:00 +0000

A result indeed.There needs to be some serious examination of the manor in which police handle rape allegations!More and more gay/bi men will find themselves 'falsely accused' of rape as a result of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the continuing problem of policing attitudes towards gay persons their lifestyles.One can only hope that the BBC might look into the way these things are conducted by police….since we cannot rely on the lap dog poodle which is the IPCC to investigate police.

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By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:14:00 +0000

There may be many reasons 'why' a person may make a 'false rape' allegation.Calculated financial reward, Personality disorder, or waking up and realising (them having fully consented the night before) that they are now lying next to a complete 'dog', (have many of us not at least once woken up to that senario?) or getting caught out by a partner (or even parents) embarrased that they were in fact 'playing away' so they play the "I did'nt want too, I must have been drunk/drugged and can't (convienently) remember a thing" and make false allegation.It happens more than you think!There is something VERY wrong in that an accused person can have their names plastered all over the media, but the (false) accuser keeps their anonimity, even when it is blatantly clear by subsequent evidence and or witnesses that an allegation is a complete fabrication and boullucs!The damadge is already done to the 'falsely accused' persons life, their family, friends, etc. because police are loath to prosecute false accusors, especially where the police themselves have f**ked up royaly!!Please bear in mind police DO NOT BOTHER to gather defence evidence, they simply get sufficient evidence to enable them to proceed with a prosecution…and to hell with facts, evidence, witnesses to the contary!Worse a 'false accuser' can make multiple repeat accusations and it not come to light…and the financial rewards to a person who makes a rape allegation in compensation can be considerable.With the new sexual offences act 2003 redefinition of male rape and the way consent is now dealt with… A lot more gay/bi men are going to be facing 'False rape' allegations and especially with homophobia still a MAJOR problem within police forces…God Help gay men accused!

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By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Anon, the majority of police are homophobic of course, and you're right. Aside from the use of drugs and violence and more than one perpetrator involved as a means to induce rape I can accept that , but I have a hard time believing that a male can rape another that easily in the absence thereof.

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:23:00 +0000

I think that's a very fair comment.I misread the headline initially that thought that the guy had definitely committed the rape, and it was only after I'd read the story that I went back and re-read it picking up the 'Court Told' at the end of the headline.It might have been a little less sensational to headline the article, "Court told Gay Radio 4 presented raped New Year party man" or "It is alleged ….".The guy might be as guilty as sin for all we know, but until such time as he is found guilty, slightly more impartial headlines would seems appropriate.

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By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:51:00 +0000

Easy there please Pinknews.As a gay man falsely accused of rape myself, (and finalised NO Further Action…there was to much defence evidence, defence eye-witnesses for police to continue with their 'gay hate' campaign), lets not convict the guy on just a prosecution statement.The new sexual offences Act 2003 (effective 1st May 2004) is going to mean a LOT more more gay/bi men accused charged of rape.Regretably there is (in my experience) a lack of honesty on the part of police in a lot of these cases and lets please remember the HOME OFFICE in 2005 said homophobia was still ENDEMIC throughout police forces.There is still (in theory) a principle in this country that a man is inoccent UNTIL proven guilty, some gay organisations would do well to remember that and 'gay friendly police, thats bolloucs…they are still "wolf in sheeps clothing" and police are just as homophobic as they have always been!.

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