A Wellington taxi driver has been convicted of exposing himself to a woman in his cab, abducting her and indecently assaulting her.
That this should have happened is bad enough. Even worse is the defence raised by the taxi driver's lawyer:
After a long cross-examination, the taxi driver's lawyer, Letizea Ord, put it to the complainant [that she] said "no" in a joking, flirting or teasing way.
"What I am suggesting to you is the way you used the word `no' is you weren't using it seriously," the defence lawyer said.
You've got to have an utterly bizarre world view to think, even for a moment, that any woman would consent to a night-time taxi ride with a stranger who got his wanger out by way of introduction. There are some seriously derogatory views of women underlying this kind of suggestion - yet the suggestion that women enjoy the attentions of predatory men continues to be raised in court. Prejudices like these are no less offensive and unjustifiable than pulling out racial stereotypes to sway a jury (although it wouldn't surprise me if this is done too from time to time, if more subtly).
FFS, as the young people say.
7 comments:
AAARGH.
I have nothing further.
What. The. F*^%!?
I just don't know where to begin.
I'm so glad that the article told us what she was wearing on the night, otherwise how could I have known whether or not she was obviously asking for it?
As usual in a sexual assault case no was assumed not to mean no and her style of clothing made the man who assaulted her say she was asking for it be looking hot. FFS what a lame excuse.
Did he also think that she was "joking" when she struggled to get out of the car?
*How* defence lawyers live with themselves when they try tactics like this, I will never know.
sad but true.. sorry
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