Podcasts about Sexual Offences Act

Organisations fighting against the abuse of children are once against making a call for the term child pornography to be done away with. The organisations believe the right term - which shows the gravity of the crime - should be called, child sexual abuse material. They say, using the term child pornography assumes that a child consented to be part of the act and minimises the fact that they are victims of violence and abuse. In its 2021 report – the South African Law Commission also recommended amendments to the Sexual Offences Act and Child Justice Act, in favour of the term Child Sexual Abuse Material. Neria Hlakotsa filed this report...

Welcome to another episode of the Ethos Parent Podcast. This week, we're diving into how to talk to your teenager about relationships. Luke and Claire, who regularly work with young people, share their insights on why relationships matter so much, why they can be tricky to discuss, and how you can encourage your teen to open up. Tune in for practical tips to help your teenager build strong, healthy relationships. Thank you to Luke Wigston and Claire Daniel for taking part in this episode.   In this episode we talk about teenage relationships; the age of consent in the UK, as defined by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 is 16 years old. Find out more at Consent Laws UK | UK Consent Law Explained | The Mix Resources: Internet Matters: Keep Children Safe Online: Information, Advice, Support - Internet Matters Internet Matters has really helpful information on how to set up parental controls on a range of different devices and apps.  

Lisa Vetten, research and project consultant in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Johannesburg, weighs in on the Pretoria High Court declaring parts of the Sexual Offences Act as unconstitutional. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pretoria high court has declared sections of the Sexual Offences Act unconstitutional. on Monday, the court removed the ability of persons accused of sexual violence to rely on a subjective belief that consent was given by a complainant. The accused person will now have to ensure that consent was given even though the victim might not have physically or loudly expressed it. The ruling comes after the NGO The Embrace Project, a rape survivor and the Centre for Applied Law approached the court to declare sections the Sexual Offences Act invalid. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Director of The Embrace Project, Lee Anne Germanos Manuel

Constitutionality of rape and intent in sexual offences act challenged in High Court by Radio Islam

Third warning. In this episode there are show spoilers. There is also a discussion on the old law of rape/ sexual offences, male rape and how that did not used to be an offence, spousal rape and how that did not used to be an offence. We also talk about stalking and what the 'Real life Martha' may do next. Find out more at https://barely-legal-comedy-podcast.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Treasury comment on nurses' offer, Manx herring landed at last, Sexual Offences Act by 2024, Australian tubeworm here, Children's Champion on Ofsted report & DIY SOS for Lockie. It's Update with Andy Wint #iom #news #manxradio

According to CBC News, Canada:In 2009, Scotland criminalized sending unsolicited explicit photos in its Sexual Offences Act.In September 2019, Texas passed House Bill 27-80, creating a criminal offense of unlawful electronic transmission of sexually explicit visual material. The law states that anyone who sends an image that is "not sent at the request of or with the express consent of the recipient" can be fined with a Class C misdemeanor.The UK is also working on an Online Safety Bill to make "cyber-flashing" a criminal offense, for which perpetrators can face up to two years behind bars. CMAHC The Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code promotes health & safety at public swimming pools Independent Pool and Spa Service Assoc IPSSA Join the largest trade organization created by and for pool and spa service techs.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

On this week's solo episode, join Simon and he navigates the subject of post-event slump, a phenomenon often experienced in the wake of significant communal moments or big events. It is a psychological valley after the peak, an emotional downturn following the joyous high of the festivities.Diving into the history of Pride, we revisited the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the pivotal uprising that ultimately sparked the global LGBTQ+ rights movement. We then transitioned to the Sexual Offences Act of 1967, a seminal UK law decriminalising homosexuality in England and Wales. These historical moments are the bedrock upon which modern Pride was built, and their significance cannot be overstated.However, our discussion didn't stop there. We also explored modern challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, notably the notorious Section 28, a piece of UK legislation introduced in 1988 that prohibited "promoting homosexuality." This law, thankfully repealed, still echoes today, highlighting the persistent hurdles faced by the LGBTQ+ community.Finally, we delved into the recent controversies surrounding Pride. As it expands its umbrella to include all identities within the queer spectrum, the event inevitably stirs debates about inclusivity, representation, and commercialization. We must remember, though, that at its core, Pride is about unity and resilience in the face of adversity.And of course a quick romp through the latest news and interesting articles:Sia being open about her autism,  the Belfast "try before you fly" pilot scheme and the Arizona city working towards becoming the most inclusive city in the US.Our artwork this month is of course by the very talented Kuro!As ever we thank you, our loyal listeners for sticking with us. We would love to hear from you and our Twitter is open @AtypicalThePod for messages and comments. Have a topic you would like us to cover, or do you fancy joining us for a natter, maybe tell us about your area of interest or expertise and share these things with everyone. We would also recommend our friend The Autistic Women for another great view on living with autism and our friends at the All Bets are Off podcast who cover addiction.

This is a difficult subject, but an important one. I still get letters from people unsure whether they've been the survivor of sexual violence.My guest is Katie Russell, former media officer for Rape Crisis and now CEO of Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL). Katie is a specialist in sexual violence and abuse against women and girls with over 18 years' diverse experience within the Rape Crisis movement and wider voluntary and community sector.In this episode we talk about what rape and sexual assault is, and also address other aspects of sexual violence. We talk about consent, and how it's an active, not a passive act. I.e. just because you didn't say no, it doesn't mean you meant yes.We talk about the trauma response and how that can affect your response to sexual violence, and how this isn't anything you have control over. In an ideal world I'd like everyone over the age of about fourteen to listen to this and really understand what consent is, because without understanding consent you can't be sure you've got it. And if you haven't got consent, you may be committing an act of rape or sexual assault. I talk about organisations and articles in the episode and here are the relevant links:https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/19/are-obedient-children-a-good-thinghttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/08/shouldnt-force-child-kiss-grandparent-consent-sex-educationIf you or someone you know has been affected by the subject matter of this episode you can get help and support by putting in the words rape crisis and the county you live in into Google. SARSVL is the organisation mentioned and where Katie works is at. Rape Crisis England and Wales.The 24 hour helpline Katie mentions is on 0808 500 2222.Support for men and boys affected by rape or sexual violence:The legislation we refer to is the 2003 Sexual Offences Act.Make a one off donation: https://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieriWant this podcast ad free: head over to my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/annalisabarbieri Follow us: Twitter: @AnnalisaB, Instagram: @pocketannalisaSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/conversations-with-annalisa-barbieri. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second episode in the two-part series on the crackdown on child marriages in Assam. Since February 2, the Assam government has arrested more than 3000 people for violating the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. Some were also arrested under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 or POCSO that can attract punishment up to life imprisonment.  Suno India's Menaka Rao spoke to Bharati Ali about the consequences of this kind of punitive action against child marriage, Bharati Ali a child rights activist based in Delhi. She is the executive director of Haq Centre for Child Rights. The organisation has worked on prevention of child marriages at the community level.  ReferencesTHE PROHIBITION OF CHILD MARRIAGE ACT, 2006Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012Crime in India 2021 | National Crime Records BureauGUIDELINES for 'MISSION VATSALYA' SchemeSee sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has urged members of the public to participate in the legislative development process that seeks to decriminalise sex work, by making inputs to improve the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022. Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola gave a media briefing on Friday where he noted that the question of how the South African legal system should respond to sex work and related activities had been the subject of considerable debate in the country. The Bill does not decriminalise and regulate the industry all at once and it deals with decriminalisation only, with regulation to follow at a later stage. “It was thought to be important to deal with the decriminalisation first, so as to ensure that sex workers are no longer criminally charged. This will mean greater protection for sex workers. Decriminalisation will de-stigmatise sex work and enable access to basic services and protection by law enforcement agencies. Existing laws prohibiting children from selling sex and trafficking for sexual purposes, remain in force,” explained Lamola. He said sex work was driven by a complex intersection of social and economic factors in which poverty, unemployment and inequality were key drivers. “Within the current South African context the debate around sex work has been complicated by high levels of unemployment, crippling poverty, burgeoning numbers of migrant and illegal foreign job seekers, high levels of sexual violence against women, the HIV/Aids epidemic, drug/substance abuse and targeted exploitation of women engaging in sex work by third parties, authorities and buyers,” he added. The Bill is expected to nullify the Sexual Offences Act (previously Immorality Act), 1957 (Act 23 of 1957). The proposals of the Bill respond to the list of interventions proposed in the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) which enjoins the criminal justice system to provide protection, safety and justice for survivors of GBV, and to effectively hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. The Bill will also cancel Section 11 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007 (Act 32 of 2007) to decriminalise the sale and purchase of adult sexual services. He went on to say municipal bylaws would still be able to dictate where solicitation in public spaces may or may not take place. Lamola said this was similar to the prohibition on the location of taverns and shebeens, where restrictions can be imposed to prohibit trade in residential neighbourhoods, near schools and/or religious buildings. The Bill further seeks to ensure that South Africa complies with its obligations conferred in terms of International Instruments. Lamola explained that in line with the NSP on GBVF, the department hoped that decriminalisation would minimise human rights violations against sex workers. “It would also mean better access to health care and reproductive health services for sex workers, as well as compliance with health and safety and labour legislation. It would also afford better protection for sex workers, better working conditions and less discrimination and stigma,” he said. The department said all submissions would be considered and the Bill would be taken back to Cabinet to request Cabinet's approval to introduce the Bill to Parliament. Comments on the Bill must be submitted to the Chief Directorate: Legislative Development on or before January 31, 2023. Comments can be sent via post: The Director-General: Justice and Constitutional Development, Private Bag X 81, Pretoria, 0001, Marked for the attention of Tsietsi Sebelemetja; or via email: Bills1@justice.gov.za; or via fax: 012 406 4632. Further information can be obtained from the Chief Directorate: Legislative Development at 012 406 4769/4753.

This November marks 10 years of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, or the POCSO Act as it is commonly known. POCSO has been in the news recently - with two High Courts in India, the Karnataka High Court and the Delhi High Court dealing with cases of teenagers, under the age of 18, in consensual relationships. The Karnataka High Court said the Law Commission of India may have to rethink the age criteria in law for consensual sex to address the issue mutual love affairs amongst minor girls and boys, who are aged above 16 but are below 18.  The POCSO Act defines a child as any person under the age of 18, and a child cannot consent.  This is not the first time the debate about age of consent has come up -- in fact, the POCSO Bill when it was originally introduced had a clause recognising consent of minors between the ages of 16 and 18, but this was then removed after the Bill went through a Parliamentary Standing Committee.  Studies have shown that a number of cases filed under the law are by parents, against boys who have eloped with their daughters - leading to many ramifications for the teenage couples, from girls being put into government homes, to boys being held in custody, to families having to go through the process of a case and trial, which can take months, or sometimes years.  But while there are calls to take into consideration the consent of older teenagers, there are concerns too - how can young people be safeguarded from exploitative or unsafe relationships? Will lowering the age of consent be used to justify cases of child marriage or trafficking? How can evolving consent in adolescents be assessed appropriately? Does an act as broad as POCSO need a refocused look?

This episode is about Sonu Punjaban. It is a depressing episode. Good luck with it.Sonu Punjaban is an Indian sex trafficker who was convicted and sentenced for trafficking a minor. She was sentenced to 24 years, with a very low likelihood of being let go for good behavior. Sonu is also known as Geeta Arora. She was alleged to be a kingpin of the sex trafficking trade of Delhi and the NCR region for many years.It is also alleged that her clients included high-profile businessmen, and to a certain extent, the Delhi police looked away or didn't interfere. She also employed a large list of henchmen, whose jobs included protecting these women and escorting them to places like Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan and Punjab. Sonu was arrested in 2007 under suspicion of contravention of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act. But in a few weeks, she received bail and was set free. She was arrested again in 2008 for a similar offense, and set free again. She was arrested again in 2011… and guess what happened? She was let go again.In 2017, her last arrest was for the trafficking, drugging, torture and abuse of a minor girl. For this, she was finally convicted and jailed for 24 years in Tihar jail, in Delhi. In July 2020, Sonu was convicted under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 or the POSCO. She was found guilty of administering drugs forcefully to a minor girl, selling her for sexual exploitation, and keeping her locked up and torturing her ruthlessly. When informed of her sentence, Sonu attempted suicide while still in Tihar jail, just hours after the conviction. She was rescued, hospitalised, and eventually shifted back to jail to spend the rest of her sentence. In the words of the judge that sentenced her – “The shameful deeds of Sonu Punjaban deprives her of any leniency from the courts.” ALSO!! Please fill out our merchandise survey – https://forms.gle/ENMZgR4LBjjK9ThT9Find out more at - https://ivmpodcasts.com/miss-conduct-blogYou can follow our hosts on Instagram.Miss Conduct: https://instagram.com/missconductpodRagavi: https://www.instagram.com/ragi.dosai/Nisha: https://www.instagram.com/just.nishful.thinking/You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featuredDo follow IVM Podcasts on social media.We are @IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.Follow the show across platforms:Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavan, Gaana, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music

Today, I will talk about the case of Attorney General for India v. Satish & Another, Criminal Appeal No. 1410 of 2021, wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court discussed the requirement of ‘skin to skin' contact of the victim and the accused to attract Section 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 that provides for the definition of ‘sexual assault' (in short, “POCSO”).To know more about it, please visit https://www.desikanoon.co.in/2021/11/sexual-assault-pocso-and-skin-to-skin.htmlTelegram: https://t.me/Legal_Talks_by_DesiKanoonYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMmVCFV7-Kfo_6S42kPhz2wApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-talks-by-desikanoon/id1510617120Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KdnziPc4I73VfEcFJa59X?si=vYgrOEraQD-NjcoXA2a7Lg&dl_branch=1&nd=1Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS84ZTZTcGREcw?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiuz4ifzpLxAhVklGMGHb4HAdwQ9sEGegQIARADAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4b89fb71-1836-414e-86f6-1116324dd7bc/Legal-Talks-by-Desikanoon Please subscribe and follow us on YouTube, Instagram, iTunes, Twitter, LinkedIn, Discord, Telegram and Facebook. Credits: Music by Wataboi from Pixabay Thank you for listening!

In this episode of HJ Talks about Abuse podcast, Alan Collins and Feleena Grosvenor discuss a recent case regarding alleged gang rape that took place at Oxford Brookes University in February 2018. This case concerns one woman, a British student and the victim, and four international students, the alleged perpetrators. It is understood that one of the accused was admitted to the university while under investigation in the United States over two allegations of rape by a female student. The victim, who was aged 19 at the time, alleges that the topic of “group sex” had come up in a hypothetical and humorous context and she had “laughed it off”. But, on another occasion the men allegedly turned serious and told her that she “owed them group sex”. The woman felt pressured to participate and claims that she initially took part in some non-penetrative sexual activity. She states that she was clear that she did not want to continue but was overpowered and repeatedly raped.   The case was investigated by Thames Valley Police but they concluded that there was ambiguity over the woman's consent and so they could not refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service. This is allegedly because she consented to some sexual activity both before and after the alleged rape. The decision was reviewed by a detective chief inspector who concluded that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction. This led to the student attempting to kill herself, by overdose. After the police concluded their investigation, Oxford Brookes University initiated a misconduct investigation. It was held that the woman was subject to “sexual harassment, violence or abuse” and three of the four men were found to “had not taken appropriate care to establish that consent was present throughout the entire evening, and this constitutes abuse”. It was found that apparently the fourth individual did not participate in the rape. The three individuals were expelled from university. The fourth had a term's suspension and was ordered to write a letter of apology to the alleged victim.   This case highlights concerns that have been growing around rape culture on campuses, and in relation to men with power or social status, as athletes, as these men were. This case also addresses the difficulties with consent in a criminal context. The different outcomes to the criminal investigation and the university investigation are because of the different “burden of proof” that applies. In a criminal context, the lack of consent has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, meaning you are sure, in order for someone to be guilty of rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault or causing a person to engage in sexual activity. The university needed only to look at a “balance of probabilities”, meaning more likely than not. Section 74 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines consent as “if [s]he agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice”. Prosecutors should consider this in two stages. They are: Whether a complainant had the capacity (i.e. the age and understanding) to make a choice about whether or not to take part in the sexual activity at the time in question. Whether he or she was in a position to make that choice freely, and was not constrained in any way. Assuming that the complainant had both the freedom and capacity to consent, the crucial question is whether the complainant agrees to the activity by choice. Determining if the four men had “reasonable belief” that the woman consented can be a difficult one. The best way of dealing with this issue is to ask two questions. Did the suspect genuinely believe the complainant consented? This relates to his or her personal capacity to evaluate consent (the subjective element of the test). If so, did the suspect reasonably believe it? It will be for the jury to decide if his or her belief was reasonable (the objective element). It is, of course, difficult when the alleged perpetrator alleges that they reasonably believed there was consent, when in fact they do not believe the same. We encourage anyone who has comments or concerns relating to this subject, or about abuse in general, to get in touch with Alan Collins at Alan.collins@hughjames.com or Feleena Grosvenor at Feleena.grosvenor@hughjames.com.   Sources: Oxford Brookes University expels athletes after ‘gang rape' claim | News | The Times Four students are alleged to have gang-raped 19-year-old fellow undergraduate  | Daily Mail Online Rape and Sexual Offences - Chapter 6: Consent | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)

In this episode of HJ Talks about Abuse podcast, Alan Collins and Feleena Grosvenor discuss “Stealthing”. This term refers to non-consensual condom removal during sex. Stealthing falls under Section 74 of The Sexual Offences Act 2003 which states that Consent is when “a person consents if he/she agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice”. Under UK law, consent is required for each sexual act and is specific to the agreed-upon. Removal of a condom intentionally during penetrative intercourse without consent is sexual assault. There is no data on stealthing rates in the UK and there is only one widely known conviction of “stealthing” in the UK. The man was convicted in 2019 and since, Feleena and Alan have assisted that individual bring a related civil claim. This issue was explored last year, in the BBC One drama “I May Destroy You” and discussed in our previous podcast episode. The main character Arabella has sex with a man who removes the condom without her knowledge. Like many women, Arabella doesn't realise it's rape until she hears it discussed on a podcast. In addition to clear harm of disregard for consent and illegality of Stealthing, there are two other clear risks. It increases the likelihood of pregnancy and of Sexually Transmitted Infections. It is unfair that those who have taken the step to protect themselves, by using a condom, to be put at a risk of harm against their consent. We encourage anyone who has experienced “stealthing” to contact the police or other supportive organisation. If you have comments or concerns relating to this subject, or about abuse in general, you can get in touch with Alan Collins at Alan.collins@hughjames.com or Feleena Grosvenor at Feleena.grosvenor@hughjames.com.   Sources: Stealthing: 'I didn't realise it's rape until it happened to me' - BBC News What Is Stealthing? | UK SAYS NO MORE

Peter Moore na swoim koncie ma 4 zbrodnie pozbawienia życia i wiele napaści, zapraszam do wysłuchania podcastu o tym seryjniaku.Bonusowo usłyszycie historię niezidentyfikowanych od 2015r szczątek ludzkich.

South Africa, like most countries across the globe, continues to criminalize sex work under the Sexual Offences Act drafted during the apartheid period. Sex workers therefore continue to be insecure and at risk of encountering violence and harassment by both the police and clients. Let alone stigma when they seek public healthcare services. Not to mention, how the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the situation for them. Sara Soumaya Abed, a fellow at the ALC, reflects on how two South African sex workers-led organizations, SWEAT and Sisonke, respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. Audio clips: eNCA

Freedom isn't free, it costs folks like you and me... So sang Trey Parker in 2004 in one of the funniest films ever made; Team America World Police. This episode is a little bit funny but nowehere near as good as that. Chris Kehoe almost wasn't free either, as in court, a lay magistrate thought that he was - well, I'll let him tell you, it's a great story. 

In your evening news brief, From The Newsroom, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retained top spots in ICC rankings for ODI batsmen; BCCI President Sourav Ganguly taken to hospital after he complained of chest pain; Samyukta Kisan Morcha alleges "antisocial" elements attempted to "torpedo" their peaceful agitation and Supreme Court stays Bombay High Court order which held that groping a child without skin-to-skin touch would not amount to sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Download the Deccan Herald app for iOS devices here: https://apple.co/30eOFD6 For latest news and updates, log on to www.deccanherald.com Check out our e-paper www.deccanheraldepaper.com

Does groping a minor's breasts over her clothes make it any lesser an offence than groping her without clothes?In a controversial ruling on 24th January, the Bombay High Court said that groping a minor's breast without skin-to-skin touch doesn't fall under the definition of ‘sexual assault' under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act also known as the POCSO act. While acknowledging that such an act INDEED IS AN OFFENCE, a sitting judge of the Nagpur bench said it only amounts to molestation under the Indian Penal Code. These observations came in a hearing of an appeal filed by a man against his conviction under POCSO charges by a sessions court after he was accused of groping a minor's breasts.Now sexual assault under POSCO is a graver offence than outraging a woman's modesty under Section 354 of the IPC, but while observing that there was no “specific detail” as to whether the minor's top was removed and whether there was any skin-to-skin contact or not, Justice Puspha Ganediwala of the Bombay High Court acquitted the appellant off POCSO saying that stringent punishments require stronger allegations and proof.Although the court upheld the conviction of the appellant under Section 354, the ruling almost immediately drew a lot of outrage on social media from celebrities and other citizens alike. While some pointed to the irony in the fact that the judgment came on the same day that is observed as the National Girl Child's Day, others are questioning if it's a fair deduction of the law.Doesn't drawing distinction between the gravity of groping a minor's breast with clothes and without clothes defeat the whole intention of the POCSO act? Host and Producer: Shorbori PurkayasthaGuests: Seema Misra, a lawyer practising in the district and high court who's appeared in PoCso-related cases for both victim and accusedProducer: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang FuzzListen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng

This week we're traveling to 1980s Wales with Pride! Join us for a discussion of Gay's the Word, Mary Whitehouse, age of consent, Bread and Roses, and more! Sources: Background: Pride, IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3169706/ Odie Henderson Review, Rogerebert.com: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pride-2014 Mark Kermode's Review, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/14/pride-film-review-mark-kermode-power-in-unlikely-union Mary Whitehouse: Mary Whitehouse Obituary, The Guardian, available at https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/nov/24/guardianobituaries.obituaries The Gay Poem that Broke Blasphemy Laws, available at https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2008/01/10/the-gay-poem-that-broke-blasphemy-laws/ Letters from Mary Whitehouse, The National Archives, available at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/sixties-britain/letters-mary-whitehouse/ Gavin Shaffer, "Til Death Do Us Part and the BBC: Racial Politics and the British Working Class, 1965-1975," Journal of Contemporary History 45, 2 (2010) The Lesbian Tide (March-April 1978) Barbara Norden, "The Campaign Against Pornography," Feminist Review 35 (1990) Gay's the Word: Diarmaid Kelliher, "Solidarity and Sexuality: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners 1984-5," History Workshop Journal 77 (Spring 2014): 240-62. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43299555 All Out! Dancing in Dulais https://youtu.be/lHJhbwEcgrA Kate Kellaway, "When miners and gay activists united: the real story of the film Pride," The Guardian (31 August 2014). https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/31/pride-film-gay-activists-miners-strike-interview IMDB page for Pride: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3169706/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Maroula Joannou, "'Fill a bag and feed a family': the miners' strike and its supporters," in Labour and the left in the 1980s eds. Jonathan Davis and Rohan McWilliam (Manchester University Press). https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvnb7nds.14 June Thomas, "gagging "gay's the word"" Off Our Backs 15:4 (April 1985): 3 and "gay's the word update" Off Our Backs 15:9 (October 1985): 8 Gillian Rodgerson and Linda Semple, "Who Watches the Watchwomen?: Feminists against Censorship" Feminist Review 36 (August 1990): 19-24. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1395106 Simon Watney, "AIDS, pornography and law" Policing Desire: Pornography, AIDS, and the Media (University of Minnesota Press, 1996) https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttv4sn.10 Alwyn Collinson, "Hidden Pride: London's LGBT history" Museum of London (2 February 2019) https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/london-pride-london-lgbt-history-gay-rights Age of Consent: Paul Bloomfield, "Labour's liberalism: gay rights and video nasties," in Labour and the left in the 1980s eds. Jonathan Davis and Rohan McWilliam (Manchester University Press, 2018). https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvnb7nds.9 Matthew Waites, "Equality at Last? Homosexuality, Heterosexuality and the Age of Consent in the United Kingdom" Sociology 37:4 (November 2003): 637-55. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42856567 David Rayside, "Promoting Heterosexuality in the Thatcher Years," in On the Fringe: Gays and Lesbians in Politics (Cornell University Press). https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctv5qdh32.7 Michel Bozon and Juliette Rennes, "The history of sexual norms: the hold of age and gender," trans. by Sian Reynolds Clio: Women, Gender, History 42 Age and Sex (2015): 7-23. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26273655 "Marriage laws" Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/table_marriage#k Vicky Iglikowski-Broad, "The passing of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act," National Archives Blog (24 July 2017). https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/sexual-offences-act/ Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, "The 1967 Sexual Offences Act: a landmark moment in the history of British homosexuality," History Extra; BBC History Magazine (14 July 2018). https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/the-1967-sexual-offences-act-a-landmark-moment-in-the-history-of-british-homosexuality/ "Convictions and Cautions for Gross Indecency" Stonewall https://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/criminal-law/convictions-and-cautions-gross-indecency Peter Tatchell, "Don't fall for the myth that it's 50 years since we decriminalised homosexuality," The Guardian (23 May 2017) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/23/fifty-years-gay-liberation-uk-barely-four-1967-act "Sexual Offences Act 1967" Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Offences_Act_1967 Nicholas Syrett, "Child marriage is still legal in the US" The Conversation (11 December 2017). https://theconversation.com/child-marriage-is-still-legal-in-the-us-88846 Anjali Tsui, "Married Young: The Fight Over Child Marriage in America," Frontline (14 September 2017). https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/married-young-the-fight-over-child-marriage-in-america/ "Page 3" Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_3 "Wolfenden Report, 1957" British Library, https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/wolfenden-report-conclusion Bread and Roses: "Bread and Roses," The Zinn Education Project, available at https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/bread-and-roses-song/ Tea Hvala, "Streetwise Politics: Feminist and Lesbian Grassroots Activism in Ljubljana," in Feminist Media: Participatory Spaces, Networks, and Cultural Citizenship, ed Elke Zobl and Ricarde Drueke, Transcript Publishing: 2012 Desmond King and David Rueda, "Cheap Labor: The New Politics of 'Bread and Roses' in Industrial Democracies," Perspectives on Politics 6, 2 (2008) Wini Breines, "What's Love Got to Do With It? White Women, Black Women, and Feminism in the Movement Years," Signs 27, 4 (2002) Joan Baez and Mimi Farina, "Bread and Roses," Availabe at https://youtu.be/LWkVcaAGCi0 "Pan y Rosas: Argentine Women in the Struggle," Left Voice, available at https://www.leftvoice.org/pan-y-rosas-argentine-women-in-the-struggle        

This summer the BBC released the drama ‘I May Destroy You’ exploring sexual assault and consent issues. It plays out issues rarely discussed in mainstream media. Early into the drama, the main character, Arabella is drugged and sexually assaulted. The series follows her journey of flashbacks, piecing together her memories of what has happened to her. The series also focuses on her coping mechanisms and shows her struggle to accept she was a victim. Throughout the drama stereotypical comments are used such as “you should watch your drink, you wouldn’t be raped”. It is both frustrating and upsetting for victims, but the drama shows the impact this thoughtless comment has on the character and hopefully will raise awareness that a victim is not to blame. However, as a warning for any future watchers of the drama, it may be triggering for anyone who has suffered similar incidents. Further into the series, a male character has consensual protected sex with a man after meeting on Grindr, a dating app. He is then raped by the same person without a condom when he tries to leave. The scenes highlights the particular risk that dating apps pose. The character reports the crime to the police but sadly he is not taken seriously, he is questioned how someone can be raped if they have consented previously to the same sexual act. It is estimated that 70,000 men are raped every year in the UK so these scenes help to raise awareness of the risks to both men and women. The series also raises awareness of Stealthing, the term that describes when a man deliberately removes a condom during sex despite agreeing to wear one without consent of the other party. A study published by Alexandra Brodsky at the Yale School of Law brought Stealthing into the press in 2017 The series watches Arabella consent to sexual intercourse with a condom but this is removed without her knowledge during the act. She is then told by the partner “I thought you knew, I thought you would feel it” which is deemed typical gaslighting behaviour in such situation. Arabella struggles with feelings of confusion and violation after she discovers this has happened. It is only further on into the series she finds out this is a popular occurrence and invalidates the consent for the sexual act she gave. Websites have been set up to advise men on how to remove a condom without knowledge or consent, almost like a challenge. Not only is there the concern of consent but also sexual transmitted disease and unwanted pregnancies. Victims' charities say stealthing must be treated as rape and that it's a hugely under-reported problem. Law Under Scottish Law there is no specific reference to “stealthing” or condom removal as a criminal offence, but it is legally recognised as a serious sexual offence in England and Wales under the term “conditional consent”. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 (SOA 2003) outlines the sexual offences which are illegal under the laws of England and Wales. These include: rape (s 1); assault by penetration (s 2); sexual assault (s 3); causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent (s 4). Section 74 defines consent as 'if he agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice'. This is two staged: capacity to make a choice about whether or not to take part in the sexual activity at the time in question. whether he or she was in a position to make that choice freely, and was not constrained in any way. Section 74 and conditional consent has been considered by the High Court and the Court of Appeal in a series of cases where ostensible consent in relation to sexual offences was considered not to be true consent, either because a condition upon which consent was given was not complied with or because of a material deception (other than one which falls within section 76 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 [SOA]). In Julian Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority [2011] EWHC 2849 (Admin), an extradition case, the President of the Queens Bench Division considered the situation in which Mr Assange knew that AA would only consent to sexual intercourse if he used a condom. Rejecting the view that the conclusive presumption in section 76 of the SOA would apply in these circumstances the President concluded that the "issue of materiality ...can be determined under section 74 rather than section 76". On the specific facts the President said: "It would plainly be open to a jury to hold that if AA had made clear that she would only consent to sexual intercourse if Mr Assange used a condom, then there would be no consent if, without her consent, he did not use a condom, or removed or tore the condom ..... His conduct in having sexual intercourse without a condom in circumstances where she had made clear she would only have sexual intercourse if he used a condom would therefore amount to an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003...." Currently, when someone consents to have intercourse with a condom and the condom is removed without their permission this consent disappears. A report by the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) published in December 2018, found that 40 per cent of people incorrectly believe that removing a condom without a partner’s consent is never or not usually sexual assault. https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/ Katie Russell, spokesperson for Rape Crisis, explains: “You may consent to sex with a condom but not without one. You have provided your consent on a condition, and if someone breaks that condition they are breaking the law.” https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/what-is-stealthing There have been few cases that have dealt with the issue of stealthing to date. Of those reported, in 2017 a man was charged in Switzerland with rape which was a landmark case. A policeman was subsequently found guilty of sexual assault in Germany for the same crime.  In 2019, a man from Bournemouth was sentenced to 12 years in prison after raping a women in a hotel room when he chose to remove the condom being used during sex. The female, a sex worker, had provided conditions of intercourse to where a condom which were agreed beforehand and advertised on her website. Support for anyone who thinks they may have been affected by anything in this blog can be found here https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/news/i-may-destroy-you.   We encourage anyone who has concerns about sexual abuse to get in touch. You can contact Alan Collins at Alan.collins@hughjames.com or Danielle Vincent at Danielle.vincent@hughjames.com.

In a break from normal service, Tom Gerken talks about #SpeakingOut.  Rhia O'Reilly explains how she felt when people started coming forward and talks about what can be done in the future to make things better. And Justin Humphreys explains why relationships between wrestling trainers and trainees do not contravene the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and why he thinks the "loophole" of these kinds of teacher/student relationships should be closed.

Robert & Russell meet Mark Gatiss, the influential British actor, screenwriter, director and novelist. We discuss Mark's recent BBC4 art documentary 'John Minton: The Lost Man of British Art', celebrating the life and work of the highly prolific and successful 20th century English artist whose work is now all but forgotten. A contemporary of Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, Minton suffered psychological problems, self-medicated with alcohol, and in 1957 died by suicide. We chat in depth about Mark's forthcoming documentary on the life of illustrator Aubrey Beardsley, a peer of Oscar Wilde, whose black ink drawings revealed the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. We explore Mark's own passion for drawing and painting portraits, the psychology behind The League of Gentlemen, his admiration for Alan Bennett, and how he came to write the series of 8 monologues ‘Queers’ in response to the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act. This episode was recorded in early January 2020.Follow @TalkArt on Instagram for images of all artworks discussed in this episode! Follow @MarkGatiss on Twitter, and check out @TalkArtPodcast, our new Twitter.Thanks for listening to Season 4! We will be back NEXT WEEK with the all new Season 5 'Talk Art: QuarARTine' series, recorded remotely from the global lockdown. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The annual abuse conference run by Hugh James and the NSPCC took place on 13 February 2020 in our office in Two Central Square, Cardiff. The abuse conference is an opportunity to bring together a whole range of service providers who assist survivors of sexual abuse so thoughts, expertise and opinions can be shared to make the experience for survivors better. This year focussed on a range of issues, from the definition of “Positions of Trust” in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to support services for survivors who have found themselves in trouble with the law, but one important issue which came starkly into focus were opportunities to stop child abuse before it had occurred. Whilst this might seem an incalculably difficult task, insights provided by Professor Bisson into the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in childhood on an adult in later life demonstrated that focus towards healing those who have had these experiences could assist in curving trends in the future. Sam Barker of Hugh James spoke about the issue of consent in civil proceedings for compensation arising out of childhood sexual abuse. Whilst this seemed a nonsense to many in the audience, it is an unfortunate reality that consent is more often being used in a case where an abuser has been convicted of a sexual offence, but a lack of consent is not an element of that offending. In today’s podcast, Alan and Sam discuss these issues further and welcome any thoughts from listeners. If you enjoyed listening to this episode of the HJ Talks About Abuse podcast, you can listen to our other episodes on your favourite streaming platforms with the buttons above. All of our episodes are also available to listen to on our website here. To find out more about what Alan and Sam do, visit the abuse page.

To celebrate LGBT History Month, we are revisiting a discussion from 2017 where we gathered a panel of experts to explore historical views on LGBTQ+, and to question how far the language and rhetoric of the past has influenced our views on the present. This talk was originally recorded and released in 2017 on the anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967. To find out more about the LGBTQ+ histories and stories of our palaces visit www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/lgbt-royal-histories

The issue of consent can be a live issue in sexual abuse cases. It becomes an issue when the defendant or alleged abuser, if you prefer, admits to having sexual activity with his/her victim, or as they say willing partner, and that what took place was consensual. In the recent case of Reynhard Sinaga who is thought to be the UK's most prolific rapist ever, it became clear that for several years, until he was caught in 2017, he preyed on young men who had been enjoying a night out. Reynhard Sinaga, a 36-year-old postgraduate student, had made his home in Manchester for more than seven years. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment following a trial at Manchester Crown Court. Sinaga, originally from Indonesia, was a perpetual student. He already had four degrees and was studying for a doctorate. By night, however, he was a serial sex offender. He has been found guilty of drugging, raping and sexually assaulting 48 men, but police believe there are among at least 190 victims.  They are able to be so precise about these numbers because Sinaga filmed his attacks and collected what detectives call "trophies" - items or information stolen from his victims. Sinaga typically approached his victims in the street. His targets were men mostly in their late teens or early 20s who had been out drinking, often in the nearby nightclubs. Some were on their way home; others had become separated from friends. Many were too drunk to remember their conversation with Sinaga, but for those who did there was no indication of a sexual motive. Sinaga used various pretexts to entice each to his flat. Some victims could recall being provided with a drink and then blacking out having been drugged. The judge said she was sure that Sinaga had used a form of date rape drug such as GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate). GHB is a class C drug and anyone found in possession of it can be imprisoned for up to two years. Sinaga drugged his victims before assaulting them while they were unconscious. When the victims woke up many of them had no memory of what had happened. He denied the charges, and claimed all the sexual activity was consensual and that each man had agreed to being filmed while pretending to be asleep - a defence described by the judge as "ludicrous". Followers of the television soap Coronation Street will be familiar with the current storyline of David Platt who was raped by Josh Tucker. Viewers are watching Josh’s trial develop with the defence based on consent. What is consent? Consent is defined by section 74 Sexual Offences Act 2003. Someone consents to vaginal, anal or oral penetration only if s/he agrees by choice to that penetration and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. Consent to sexual activity may be given to one sort of sexual activity but not another, e.g.to vaginal but not anal sex or penetration with conditions, such as wearing a condom. Consent can be withdrawn at any time during sexual activity and each time activity occurs. In investigating the suspect, it must be established what steps, if any, the suspect took to obtain the complainant’s consent and the prosecution must prove that the suspect did not have a reasonable belief that the complainant was consenting. Recent high profile cases concerning football and rugby players have highlighted how difficult it can be to prove that the suspect(s) did not have a reasonable belief that the complainant was consenting. The issue of consent can remain live even if in the wake of a criminal conviction the complainant seeks compensation either from his/her abuser or those responsible for him/her for example an employer. The defence that is argued is that the criminal components of the crime had been committed, for example by a teacher having sexual activity with a student over the age of 16 (the criminal age of consent) but he/she was old enough or mature enough to give full consent. Similarly, in the case of a child under 16 who was sexually assaulted, the defence might be run that even though the crime was committed there was consent. This may strike many as unpalatable but the realities of these cases are that motives and facts have to be examined with great care. In the Sinaga case his “defence” was seen for what it was and dismissed. There was no consent – the victims had been drugged and were unconscious. There are other cases though where it can be very difficult to unravel what was going on in the minds of those involved.

Brief Description- This week on Agla Station Adulthood hosts Ayushi and Rytasha discuss the importance of awareness and inclusion. They are joined by Natashja Rathore and Smita Bharti from Sakshi who are both working at the helm of The Rakshin Project to deliver workshops with NSS Volunteers of 41000 Colleges across India in order to strengthen Youth Power as powerful enablers for creating a Constitutional Rights-Based Enabled Environment in the context of Gender Equality with a focus on building awareness about Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 (POCSOA 2012, Amendment 2019). If you want to be a volunteer for this project, you can connect with the organization at hello@sakshi.org.in or you can visit their Facebook or Instagram page for details. Show Notes- Act mentioned in this episode *Guidelines for POCSO Act** Organizations mentioned in this episode: 1) Sakshi 2) Jai Vakeel Foundation It is the largest and oldest non-profit serving children with intellectual disability. The foundation aims to integrate these students into mainstream society by providing them with healthcare, education, skill development and support services.

This week the Abuse team at Hugh James discusses the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG): Hearings into “positions of trust” in faith settings. The APPG is investigating whether the definition of “positions of trust” in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 ought to be amended to include faith settings. Currently, this “positions of trust” covers educational, youth justice and medical settings. This is effectively to ensure, for example, a teacher who is 30 is not permitted to engage in a sex act with a student who is 17, despite that student being over the age of consent, which is 16. This is because the nature of the relationship renders what is ostensibly consensual, non-consensual.  The reasons for this are many, but mainly because of the undue influence, power imbalance and vulnerabilities which surround the child in the context of the relationship. It does not currently include within that definition faith settings.  As such, a priest who is 40 could have a sexual relationship with a child member of the church who is 17 and this would be legal.  Hugh James were asked to speak to the APPG on behalf of the Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses Advocates Opposing Crimes Against Children (the “Group”), as Sam Barker of the Hugh James abuse team represents the Group at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s upcoming hearings into safeguarding in faith settings. It is the view of the Group that Jehovah’s Witnesses as a religion demonstrates perfectly why the law needs to change given the significant trust and power placed in adult male members of the faith, such that one of those members engaging in a sex act with a child in the congregation ought to be illegal.  However, the Group submits this is relevant to all religions. The Group submitted that: The Jehovah’s Witnesses as a religious institution clothes men in official positions (such as a circuit overseer, elder or ministerial servant) with profound trust, power and authority as it is consistently conveyed that their appointments are approved by God’s Holy Spirit; The Jehovah’s Witnesses literature, which is frequently read at meetings, studied and said to be “spiritual food” from God, requires members to obey elders unquestionably and be submissive to them even when they act in error; The elders and to a lesser extent, ministerial servants, play a crucial role within a congregation which goes directly to the care, supervision, instruction and training of children within the congregation, whether that is through mentoring, spiritual guidance, evangelising, religious instruction and teaching through Bible study and meetings, spiritual investigations and/or judicial committee hearings; The significant power placed in elders within a congregation consequently has the effect of placing those men to whom the elders designate roles, duties and/or administrative functions with the same power, trust and authority; The role of adult men within the Jehovah’s Witnesses is absolutely paramount to the role of women and children and it is ingrained, particularly in children, to respect and obey adult men within the congregation (even if that person is not an elder or ministerial servant); The Jehovah’s Witnesses literature encourages all adults to take an active part in the mentoring of children in the teachings of the religion and the same literature encourages the children to trust the adult and they will benefit from this mentoring; and The roles allocated to elders and ministerial servants and indirectly allocated to other senior members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in respect of children engage the same trust relationship which involves an imbalance of power, vulnerability and susceptibility to harm as those which are already covered by the Part 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 but are not criminalised in the context of faith settings. Overall, this change would put the UK in line with other common law jurisdictions like Australia, where this conduct is criminalised.  In Victoria, faith settings is included in the definition of “care, supervision or authority”, which is: “Without limiting the circumstances in which a child is under the care, supervision or authority of a person, a person (A) has a child (B) under their care supervision or authority if (A) is – 'a religious or spiritual guide, or a leader or official (including a lay member) of a church or religious body, however any such guide, leader, official, church or body is described, who provides care, advice or instruction to B or has authority over B'”.

“Give us your phone or we’ll drop your case” is just one of the arguably sensationalist headlines that appeared in the media in the last couple of days in response to the news how police and prosecutors use information from the mobile phones of people who report rape or other sexual offences. This rightly or wrongly has caused some consternation and confusion. There have been by way of background two high profile rape cases which provide some context. There is the case of Liam Allan who faced being convicted of rape. Disclosure of text messages from his accuser suggested that the sexual offences she complained off were arguably consensual. The content of the messages painted a very different picture apparently to the one that she had given as part of the prosecution. There is the case of Alex Hepburn the ex-Worcestershire cricketer who has been convicted of rape. He had set-up a sexual contest “game” on WhatsApp which undoubtedly was of interest to the jury trying his case when considering his claim that his victim had consented to the sexual offence that he had subjected her to. The relevance of these two cases is two-fold: Consent Social media and electronic information used as evidence Looking at consent this is defined by section 74 Sexual Offences Act 2003. Someone consents to vaginal, anal or oral penetration only if s/he agrees by choice to that penetration and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. Consent to sexual activity may be given to one sort of sexual activity but not another, e.g.to vaginal but not anal sex or penetration with conditions, such as wearing a condom. Consent can be withdrawn at any time during sexual activity and each time activity occurs. In investigating the suspect, it must be established what steps, if any, the suspect took to obtain the complainant’s consent and the prosecution must prove that the suspect did not have a reasonable belief that the complainant was consenting. The realities of modern life mean that many of us communicate, and some more than others, by means of text and other forms of communication. Inevitably such communications potentially become evidence viz evidence of guilt or innocence. The rape cases of Allan and Hepburn are good examples of where electronic communications in its widest sense have formed evidence that points to innocence or guilt. Concerns about access to private communications are understandable. It is readily understood why victims may find it intrusive and a further invasion of their privacy. It follows though that the contents of mobile phones, for example, may help convict abusers. Conversely, they may assist justice in disproving an allegation. The Crown Prosecution Service has advised that mobile phone data, or social media activity, will only be considered by the police when relevant to an individual case.   The CPS has made it clear that for an investigation to proceed and be fair for both complainants and suspect, all reasonable lines of enquiry must be pursued. This is not new and the policy has not changed - mobile devices will not be needed in every case - but when they are, there is explicit guidance that only material relevant to a particular offence may be pursued, to minimise unnecessary intrusion. This applies to all offences and is not restricted to allegations of sexual offending. More detailed information and advice will be found on the CPS website at: cps.gov.uk The position as advised by the police and CPS should be welcome because it reflects modern life and the  necessary steps to ensure  that evidence is secured to assault in the conviction of sex offenders. The vast  majority of offences are committed behind “closed doors” which mean there are inevitably no witnesses, and so the police and prosecution are dependent on medical evidence, and that lies in the form of electronic communications. For more information about these issues, visit the Hugh James Sexual Abuse team and get in touch. 

I was on a bustling street in Soho, hugging my friend Liam as he cried with joy after hearing that Trinidad and Tobago’s highest court had just ruled that sections of the Sexual Offences Act were unconstitutional. For Liam, it was a moment that couldn’t come soon enough. Like many, his family encouraged him to move away from Trinidad so he could live as himself. Today, I’m in conversation with Jason Jones, the intrepid activist who filed the historic lawsuit in the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago, and who successfully challenged the constitutionality of Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act. We begin our conversation at the moment Liam and I read the ruling and wind through Jason’s fascinating and globe-trotting life. From singing Neil Diamond on the beach with Nina Simone to changing homophobic laws across two continents, Jason Jones is living proof of how the world can change when even just one of us recognises our inherent potential and value and when we embark on future-defining journeys with tenacity, drive and ambition. The scope, scale and impact of Jason’s work really cannot be repeated enough. I’m so honoured to share this conversation with you.This episode also closes with a special message from Liam to Jason.— — Jason Jones is an LGBTQ human rights activist, most widely known for winning a landmark court case against Trinidad and Tobago. After a widely-anticipated win at the Privy Council, Jason's court case will have effectively liberated over 55 million people across the Caribbean and South America.— —@_busybeingblack is the podcast exploring how we live in the fullness of our queer Black lives. Supporting this podcast doesn't cost any money; your retweets, ratings, reviews, shares and feedback all help, so please keep it all coming #busybeingblackOf course, if you want to and have the means, you can support Busy Being Black financially and help make it all happen: paypal.me/busybeingblack— —Thank you to our partners, UK Black Pride and BlackOut UK.

Join Kate Thornton as she poses three questions to three friends over three glasses of wine. On this episode we’re wowed by three young friends who are already making their mark on the world. It's Emma Gannon: award-winning host of Ctrl + Alt + Delete podcast, and the best-selling author of two books, including The Multi-Hyphen Method. She's brought along her friends Stevie Martin (co-host of the Nobody Panic podcast, comedian, writer, and actor who you might recognise as Flo from Channel 4’s Damned) and little sister, Gina – the force that helped get The Voyeurism (Offences) Act of 2019 passed and added upskirting to the Sexual Offences Act of 2003.CreditsMusic by Andy BellProduced by Kate Thornton and Caithlin Mercer for Yahoo UK See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sexual abuse by people in authority often involves the use of power by the predatory adult.  A teacher, of course, has often enormous influence over a pupil, but this issue is not limited to the teacher/pupil relationship. Abuse can happen in other settings where people work with young people too. It is very easy for young people to fall under that influence which is why, as we shall see, there are very strict laws prohibiting any kind of sexual activity between those in a position of trust and a young person (under the age of 18). Victims of grooming are often manipulated and what they may think is a relationship is, in fact, a twisted one, and a damaging one, that can have profound consequences. Avid fans of the soap “Emmerdale” will be all too familiar with the current storyline of sexual impropriety between a teacher and her pupil. Teacher Maya Stepney has been involved in an improper relationship with schoolboy Jacob Gallagher. She has been arrested and, no doubt faces being prosecuted for offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The fictional case vividly exposes a number of issues. The first issue is young people can be exploited by adults through a process where they are manipulated into a relationship that in turn leads to sexual abuse. This manipulation is known as grooming. On the soap, Maya has been grooming  Jacob for months and even made plans to flee the country with him. Maya tried to find a way out, taking Jacob with her, but she was reported to the police and finally arrested in front of him. Viewers were stunned when they previously saw Maya, who is Jacob’s teacher, have sex with him a few days after he turned 16. The story has also exposed a lack of understanding of a sizeable proportion of the general public who apparently struggle to identify what constitutes sexual abuse. Research done for Barnardos by YouGov revealed that many adults have a severe lack of knowledge about sexual abuse. Barnardos has been working with Emmerdale’s producers on the current storyline, but despite witnessing Maya and Jacob sexting, the poll showed that 35% of people didn’t actually think an adult sending sexually explicit messages to a 16-year-old was illegal or abusive. When Jacob was still 15, scenes played out on screen of him kissing Maya in and out of school, however, 27% of people in the poll did not identify this as illegal or abusive. There is also the uncommon perception that a teenage boy having sex is not harmful. Indeed there will be those who think that Jacob having sex with his teacher is a boy’s fantasy come true. The reality is that it is recognised this is likely to be harmful psychologically because of the manipulation and the abuse of power. The likelihood in the Jacob scenario is that he is being used for sexual gratification or to get some kind of power kick.  He is being used unwittingly and with that, the risk is that whilst he might be physically mature he will not be psychologically, and that is where the harm is possibly going to arise. Turning back to the law although Jacob was over the age of consent when he and Maya had sex, it is a crime for an adult in a position of trust (such as a teacher or foster carer) to engage in sexual activity with a person under the age of 18, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. If Maya is successfully prosecuted, she will face imprisonment. The courts take breach of trust cases very seriously. In addition, Maya may be liable to pay compensation to Jacob for the harm she has caused him. The compensation could be significant if the damage she has caused is lifelong which is possible in cases such as this. Moreover, her employer may also be civilly liable to pay compensation if she was able to sexually abuse him as a direct result of her employment. Sexual abuse of a minor by a person in position authority should be taken seriously by each of us and by society as a whole. Proper reporting and prosecution will not happen if people are not aware of just how damaging this kind of abuse can be. More importantly, without awareness, we will not be able to make strides toward preventing it from happening in the first place.

People in the UK have a worrying lack of knowledge about what constitutes a crime when it comes to the sexual abuse of children, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Barnardo's. The children's charity has been working with ITV's Emmerdale on a story-line about a teacher who grooms and has sex with a pupil. Jenni is joined by Amanda Naylor, Head of Child Sexual Abuse at Barnado's and Cris McCurley, a partner at BenHoareBell Solicitors in Newcastle to discuss adults in positions of trust and how the Sexual Offences Act 2003 relates to them. The Chelsea Flower Show has started. Women and children are at the heart of one of the gardens that has achieved gold. It's a recreation of a village in Zimbabwe with crops rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients especially good for women, teenage girls and children under five. Siobhann Tighe has been to see it.Today India learns the outcome of its general election. For the first time ever more women are likely to have voted than men. Political parties sought to appeal to women, offering educational loans, free cooking gas cylinders and bikes for girls. Eight percent of parliamentary candidates were women. In one party, the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), 41 per cent of its candidates were women. Jenni is joined by the BBC's India correspondent Yogita Limaye in Varanasi and Dr Champa Patel, Head of the Chatham House Asia-Pacific programme.To mark the opening of a new retrospective of the work of Posy Simmonds at the House of Illustration in London, Jenni talks to its co-curator Paul Gravett, to comic laureate Hannah Berry and to cartoonist and winner of last year's Observer Cape graphic short story prize, Edith Pritchett. How did Posy become a trailblazing female cartoonist in a male-dominated field? And what impact has her work had on the next generation of women cartoonists and graphic novelists?

On Tuesday the 26th of March 2019, the Standard reported that a three judge bench at the Court of Appeal, constituted by Justices Roselyn Nambuye, Daniel Musinga and Patrick Kiage, proposed that the age of consent be lowered to 16 by amending the Sexual Offences Act, citing lengthy jail terms imposed on young men convicted of defilement. We’re joined by Judy Gitau, the Africa Regional Co-ordinator of Equality Now to discuss consent, the age of consent, its importance, and the potential impact of lowering it. Resources Criminal Appeal 102 of 2016 [The Ruling that proposed the lowering of the age of consent] Court proposes lowering sex consent age to 16 years Sexual Offences Act (2006) What is sexual consent? Why the age of sexual consent continues to be a worldwide challenge Close in Age Exemptions / Romeo and Juliet Laws What are the Romeo and Juliet Laws Episode 81: Abortion and Reproductive Healthcare Episode 88: Human Trafficking in Kenya Image Credit: Social Documentary Centre

Joe Galliano (https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephgalliano) came up with the idea for Queer Britain (https://twitter.com/queer_britain), the UK’s national LGBTQ+ museum, during the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalization of homosexual acts in England and Wales (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Offences_Act_1967). Discouraged by the focus on male homosexuality and on legislation, he launched a bid to preserve histories that have been ignored or destroyed. If all goes well, the museum will open in London in a few years. In this episode, Galliano talks about the UK’s history of anti-gay legislation, how he is working to create a ‘catalytic space’ at Queer Britain, and why the medium of museums is right for this project. The word ‘queer’ was synonymous with ‘strange’ or ‘weird’, and a common slur thrown at LGBT individuals. Activists in the 1980s reclaimed the word and used it as an umbrella term for a wide range of sexual orientations and gender identities. Nowadays, queer is an increasingly popular way to identify within the community, but as historical traumas persist, and the word can still be found in hostile environments, it’s important to note that not everyone is in agreement. Joe Galliano and Queer Britain use the term as a proud self-identifier, and an intentional move away from using the word ‘gay’, and male homosexuality in general, as a stand-in for all identities. Museum Archipelago is a tiny show guiding you through the rocky landscape of museums. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/museum-archipelago/id1182755184), Google Podcasts (https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubXVzZXVtYXJjaGlwZWxhZ28uY29tL3Jzcw==), Overcast (https://overcast.fm/itunes1182755184/museum-archipelago), or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ImpDQJqEypxGNslnImXZE) to never miss an epsiode. Sponsor: Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, GW University This show is brought to you by the Museum Studies Graduate Program at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at the George Washington University. With a graduate degree in Museum Studies, you will be equipped to respond to the evolving museum profession by engaging in hands-on training in the heart of the nation’s museum capital. To learn more, click here. Topics and Links 00:00: Intro 00:15: Joseph Galliano 00:35: 50th anniversary of the Partial Decriminalization of Homosexuality in England and Wales 01:55: Legislation from the 'Buggery' Act to Today 02:58: Legislation Focusing on Male Homosexuality 04:00: "Rightful Place" 04:43: The Word Queer 05:28: The Plan for Queer Britain 06:20: Dan Vo at the V&A 07:25: Virtually Queer 08:45: Museums Asking Questions 10:40: Fundraising and Partnerships 12:09: Sponsor: Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, GW University 13:18: Outro | Join Club Archipelago Transcript Below is a transcript of Museum Archipelago episode 58. Museum Archipelago is produced for the ear and the only the audio of the episode is canonical. For more information on the people and ideas in the episode, refer to the links above. View Transcript [Intro] Joe Galliano: Turns out, in order to launch a museum, it’s a long, complicated, expensive process. Who knew? This is Joe Galliano, one of the co-founders of the Queer Britain Museum. Joe Galliano: Hello, my name is Joe Galliano, the co-founder and CEO of Queer Britain, the national LGBTQ+ museum for the UK. Galliano came up with the idea for a national LGBTQ+ museum in 2017, during the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalization of homosexual acts in the UK, an anniversary commemorated by cultural and heritage institutions across the country. Joe Galliano: I felt slightly conflicted because it’s an anniversary that’s focused around men. It’s an anniversary that was focused around criminality and victimhood. Some of the fairly familiar tropes that we get rolled out that we get when we start talking about gay men, largely, and it’s not very inclusive. We’re living in a world, thankfully, where there’s a rich and wildly diverse set of sexulaitlies and gender identities and it left me slightly sad that it wasn’t entirely recognized. And also the fact that it was hung on an anniversary, and I didn’t wanted it to be another 50 years before there was something major happening again and I wanted to make sure that we build on the momentum that was being gathered around that anniversary and that it didn’t just fizzle away: it turned into something with real lasting value. The emphasis on an anniversary of legislation could have come from the context of a long history of formal, legal repression of male homosexuality the UK, going all the way back to the Buggery Act of 1533. Joe Galliano: We had the Buggery Act, which was introduced under Henry VIII, which was very much around male sexuality, male same-sex attraction and policing that. And this all stayed on the books in various forms until 1967 when there was partial decriminalization. With partial decriminalization, the age of consent was set at 21, where it was 16 for everybody else. At that point, as well, prosecutions absolutely rocketed. As soon as there was some allowance for people to behave naturally, it then became a bigger stick to beat people with. The legislation only focused on male homosexuality, which is, of course, telling. Joe Galliano: It’s interesting that those laws were always about men. Women with same sex desire were almost rendered invisible to public life and the law. Yeah, I think there’s also, if we’re talking about that kind of legislation, there actually have been a prejudice, a lot of it is about patriarchy, about male views of sexualty and sex, who has an active sexuality, who has a passive sexuality. I think through a large portion of history, women’s sexuality was seen as in service to male sexuality, and so would you legislate against that? There are also some stories. When some of the later bills will brought to Queen Victoria, they were too embarrased to talk about lesbianisim or anything like that. How much truth there is in that, I don’t know. Of course, the focus of Queer Britain will not be legislation. But as Galliano says, the laws previously on the books, and the increasing number of violent homophobic and transphobic attacks in the UK today have distorted the country’s understanding of itself — and tie directly into the mission of the museum. Joe Galliano: We’re talking about a central hub that will visible globally and within the mainstream that will give a message that here is a catalytic space that will collect our stories and here’s a way of helping progress Britain’s understanding of itself by giving Queer stories their rightful place. So that means rightful place within the culture. And also a rightful place. A place that can be their own. The word ‘Queer’ has a complicated history. It wassynonymous with ‘strange’ or ‘weird’, and a common slur thrown at LGBT people. Activists in the 1980s reclaimed the word and used it as an umbrella term for a wide range of sexual orientations and gender identities. Today, Queer is an increasingly popular way to identify within the community, but as historical traumas persist, and the word can still be found in hostile environments, it’s important to note that not everyone is in agreement. Galliano and the Queer Britain Museum use the term as a proud self-identifier and as an intentional move away from using the word ‘gay’, and male homosexuality in general, as a stand-in for all identities. The plan is for Queer Britain to have a physical space in London, opening sometime in the next few years. Although the UK is full of museums, some of which are have Queer artifacts and Queer stories, Galliano is conscious of how backsliding can happen. In legislation and culture, the laws and norms of today don’t guarantee that the future will look the same. Institutions like museums are a part of maintaining today’s momentum — and can give people who have had their stories told by others a chance to narrate their own history. Joe Galliano: I think there’s fantastic movement within the museum communities now to Queer those spaces, to make sure they are unearthing those stories and seeing how they can weave them through the main of their collections. Are they there yet? No. Some places have gotten further than others. Some aren’t doing anything. But there’s some really really good work. I would look at a volunteer like Dan Vo at the V&A who is conducting really good museum tours, LGBT museum tours and is a great volunteer activist. I think that part of my fear is that much of the movement forward relies on activist curators and really excited volunteers and it doesn’t take too many people to leave the sector, and that’s lost. The other thing I think is really important is that there’s such a rich and wildly diverse set of stories to tell. That those museums are never going to be able to tell all of those stories. Whereas what we have the ability to do is to create a catalytic space, where we can pour all of those stories in and where we can keep telling different stories and we can change the exhibitions all the time. And that LGBT people can be in control of telling their own stories as well. Over history, so often, it has been other people who have told our stories. When these other people and institutions tell the Queer community’s stories, they often become the de facto intergenerational gatekeepers — if they decide to keep and organize the information at all. This can have devastating consequences. Galliano is acutely aware that stories are being lost every day. Joe Galliano: That’s about making sure that we’ve gathered the stories of people who are with us now. They can add their voices into the archives and become part of that. It’s important really that we gather the stories now while people can actually talk to us. In terms of understanding where we’re gonna be headed with the archive to start with is that we are designing a national survey of museums around the country, which we’re doing with the assistance of the National Archives. What we really want to do is just get a proper sense of what is the nation’s holding of material that we would think of as LGBT focused. That will mean that it will give us steer as to where are the important gaps. How do we fill those gaps? That’s going to kind of give us a sense of where to focus our collecting activity. When a museum is still an idea, what the word museum means is still flexible. In addition to educational exhibits about Queer history and culture, the proposed museum is also a place for people to upload their own stories and The Whole projects serves as an antidote to the psychological damage of homophobic and transphobic attacks and oppression. Joe Galliano: Museum’s an interesting word, isn’t it, because it comes with all sorts of baggage. And actually, we’re talking about something very much broader than just a museum in the traditional sense. They show inherently show what a culture values and they’re a really good way of understanding what we are now, understand how we got there, and then take that understanding and use them to imagine the best of all possible futures. They ask questions. Who are we? How did we get here? Who do we want to be? It should be different every time you come to the museum when the physical space itself opens. Which we’re a few years off yet. What we’re looking at is a series of guest curators, a rolling series of guest curators so that each time we bring somebody in we’re like, “What is the story that you need to tell? What is the story that hasn’t been told? What’s the material that sits unexplored in other museums’ archives that we’re able to shine a light on?” Sometimes it’ll be about the blockbuster exhibition. What’s the exhibition that’s going to be bringing lines ‘round the block? Which of the exhibitions will there be telling community stories that haven’t been told? For example, it could be everything from - and I’m talking off the top of my head right this moment - It could be everything from, “What is Elton John’s stage costumes?” through to “What is the queer Bangladeshi experience of Birmingham in the 1950s?” It will be a space to tell a vast, endless set of experiences. Creating a new museum is no small task, but Galliano is ready for the challenge. As he goes through the process of collecting and fundraising, he’s also focused on building partnerships. His route to creating a robust institution begins with acknowledging that it’s a project bigger than just one person or one identity. Joe Galliano: There’s as many challenges as you want to look at and they’re all fascinating and exciting to step up to. I think the other thing is how do you carry the responsibility to make sure that something that there is such a need for and such a desire, certainly within the LGBTQ+ communities, how do you carry the weight and the responsibility of having said that you’re gonna this thing and making sure that you’ve delivered for those people. I want to create an organization that if I step away from it, we’ve got the right … There’s another person that will be able to take over that mantle. So that the organization isn’t about one person, but we’ve created a robust organization that will be able to delivery fabulously. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever worked on because it’s the thing that I’m most … I’ve never worked from something I feel so passionately is important. I’ve never picked up a project as brilliantly challenging as this in it’s scale, in the scope of all the different stakeholders we need to make sure are brought close and are doing the right things. And that we keep a laser focus on the strategy to make sure that it happens. [Sponsor] This has been Museum Archipelago [Outro]

Gina Martin is a writer and activist in London and currently campaigning to change the law around "upskirting", the act of someone taking a photo up someone's skirt.Gina recently partnered with Refinery 29 UK and created the hashtag #stopskirtingtheissue. In a nutshell, Gina was watching The Killers perform at a music festival last summer, when two guys kept hitting on her and wouldn't take no for an answer. After this happened and after she told the police, she later learned that taking pictures up skirts is not legally classed as a sexual offence under UK law.Taken from Refinery29UK: "Martin threw herself into research and found out that there is no specific legislation against upskirting. Upskirting is already illegal in Scotland after the law was changed by the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009. But, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003—a law which pertains to the whole UK—upskirting is not considered a sexual offence."In this episode we discuss how to start a campaign from scratch, the power spreading the word on social media, small acts of activism and how the people around you really matter.A favourite quote from this episode: “I can sound pushy, I can sound bossy, I can sound like I’m being cheeky, but at the end of the day I’m trying to change the law.”If you were inspired by this episode PLEASE do sign the petition to make this illegal under the Sexual Offences Act of 2003: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/takeaction/887/239/401/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For our third National Life Stories podcast Charlie Morgan spoke to Steven Dryden, Broadcast Recordings Curator at the British Library and co-curator of the exhibition Gay UK: Love Law and Liberty. Gay UK ran from June-September 2017 and marked 50 years since the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and 60 years since the Wolfenden Report. The exhibition was extremely popular and it just so happened that it contained a lot of oral histories! In podcast you'll from interviews which discuss organizations like the Homosexual Law Reform Society and the Gay Liberation Front, as well experiences ranging from World War 2 to 1970s nightclubs. You'll also hear Steven's views on how he chose clips for the exhibition and how it felt to edit, or “hack to pieces", those same clips. Clips in the episode are taken from the following interviews: John Alcock, C456/003 Hall-Carpenter Oral History Project: cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/…hdata1=CKEY4014153 Tony Dyson, C456/074 Hall-Carpenter Oral History Project: cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/…hdata1=CKEY4014176  Maureen Duffy, C1276/03 Authors’ Lives: cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/…hdata1=CKEY7097153 Mary McIntosh, C1420/11 Sisterhood & After: The Women’s Liberation Oral History Project: cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/…hdata1=CKEY7563647 Jonathan Blake, C456/104 Hall-Carpenter Oral History Project: sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history/Obser…0456X0104XX-0001V0 If you’d like to learn more check out our collection guide on Oral histories of sexuality, reproductive health and prostitution: www.bl.uk/collection-guides/or…lth-and-prostitution National Life Stories: www.bl.uk/projects/national-life-stories Gay UK: www.bl.uk/press-releases/2017/…-the-british-library

This week, Jane Mulcahy reports from the UCC Law Conference, where she spoke with Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and Tom O'Malley, member of the Irish Law Reform Commission and senior lecturer at NUIG, about consent and the Sexual Offences Act 2017 respectively.Dr Lawrence Siry, talks us through his fascinating career as a public defender in New York, and Professor Owen McIntyre discusses the future of water.

Doc/fest were thrilled to welcome Olly Alexander, frontman of the British electronica trio Years and Years to the Festival to discuss the making of his first documentary 'Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay’. The film has recently screened on BBC3 as part of the BBC's Gay Britannia season marking the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967 that partially decriminalised homosexual acts in England and Wales. In the documentary, Olly explores why the gay community can be more vulnerable to mental health issues, as he opens up about his own long-term battles with depression. The film produced by Antidote Productions, the company behind the critically acclaimed Professor Green: Suicide and Me for BBC Three. Olly was joined by Lelia Monks and Vicki Cooper from Antidote who talked to Damian Kavanagh, the controller of BBC3.

On 27 July 2017, The National Archives held a day of talks to mark the 50th anniversary of the royal assent of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which partially decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales.In this recording, Sammy Sturgess discusses the lives of gay men in London in the lead up to the 1967 Act: from legal rights and social spaces, to employment and living arrangements.

On 27 July 2017, The National Archives held a day of talks to mark the 50th anniversary of the royal assent of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which partially decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales.In this recording, Caroline Derry looks at how the Wolfenden committee (whose 1957 report laid the ground work for the passing of the Sexual Offences Act) barely mentioned women and instead focussed almost exclusively on homosexual men.

Christopher Nolan's film Dunkirk dramatises the many acts of heroism and horror of the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of soldiers during World War 2 from French beaches. Many critics are talking about Oscars, will our reviewers agree? The newest production of Much Ado About Nothing at London's Globe Theatre sets the story during the armed struggles of the Mexican Revolution. Sarah Winman's novel Tin Man is a love story between two boys and a woman who changes their love and their lives; it's about relationships, loss and kindness The first posthumous exhibition of the work of Rose Finn-Kelcey at Modern Art Oxford takes a selective look at the breadth of her work over several decades. The BBC's LGBTQ season marking the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act, presents Against the Law starring Daniel Mays as Peter Wildeblood, one the defendants in the 1954 Montagu case. Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Lisa Appignanesi, Paul Morley and Alex Clark. The producer is Oliver Jones.

A heartfelt meditation on the (in)visibilty of gay women. Writer and theatremaker Stella Duffy describes growing up lesbian in New Zealand in the 60s and 70s and considers what the 40 year expatriate 'marriage' of novelist, poet and playwright Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas, author of The Alice B Toklas Cookbook, means to her. Part of Gay Britannia, a season of programming marking the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act 1967, which partially decriminalised homosexual acts that took place in private between two men over the age of 21.Writer: Stella Duffy Reader: Stella Duffy Producer: Simon Richardson.

It's been 50 years since the Sexual Offences Act 1967 was passed in England and Wales. The act was to amend the law and decriminalise homosexual acts in private between two men. In a time where public opinion of homosexuality was viewed negatively and MP's "were afraid of voting it in parliament for fear it would lose their seats,” David Owen supported the bill in a speech addressing the House of Commons on December 19th 1966. The former Labour MP tells our reporter Becky Milligan that as a society "we were in denial" regarding homosexuality and since amending the law society has "moved light years since the sixties". (Image: Lord Owen, credit: BBC)

To mark 50 years since the Sexual Offences Act in 1967 decriminalised private homosexual acts, Becky Milligan spoke to George Montague. Like many homosexual men of his generation, George got married, had children and kept his gay relationships secret. In 1974 he was convicted of gross indecency with a man - the law was repealed in 2004. The 93-year-old, who has fought for an apology for his conviction, finally received one from the Home Office. (Photo: George Montague. Credit: BBC)

Parliament has had a tough time explaining its 11th hour application for a deadline extension. The Constitutional court had declared certain sections of the sexual offences act invalid to the extent that they criminalised consensual sexual conduct between children under the age of 16. Parliament was given 16 months to remedy the defect. Senior Constitutional Court Reporter, Candice Nolan has the details.... last minute proposals on the finalisation of the Sexual Offences Act.

Have a listen to this week's show right here.In the light of the recent verdicts and sentence in Rolph Harris' case, Kirstin goes through the Sexual Offences Act 1956, looking at what offences are contained in it and how amendments have affected the law. Given that we are on the subject of how the law changes over the years and that retrospective legislation is dangerous territory, we thought it would be worthwhile to take a peek at the decision of the High Court in Reilly (No.2) as the Government gets a bloody nose for playing dirty with JSA claimants.Both hefty legal matters this week so next week we will hopefully be being chatty on the subject of experts and looking at our postbag from the CPS, MoJ and Home Office.  Doesn't look like fan mail....Also, PLEASE RATE/REVIEW US: wherever you subscribe, please take two seconds as we start this series, to give us some stars and a few kind words.  We'd be e'er so obliged.  It helps us get up the search rankings, ya see.