Can we talk?

Journalist and presenter of Crimewatch Nick Ross has got himself into bother over a book he has written, in which he touches on the issue of rape. A storm has broken over his head, with some women's groups claiming he has taken the view that rape comes in many forms and isn't always the same.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22677513

This is contrary to the accepted view on rape which is that rape is rape. There aren't different kinds of rape and all forms of rape are equally heinous.

So here are a couple of tests:

Is Nick Ross entitled to his view that there are several kinds of situation that can be construed as rape? Yes, he is.

If we say 'rape is rape' and don't discriminate between types of sexual assault, can we increase the number of rapes being reported and the number of convictions? The answer to that one is absolutely not: reported rapes and convictions for rape are falling.

Rape has become a subject we almost don't dare to discuss in the UK. There are so many misunderstandings and prejudices around the issue it's easier not to talk about it at all, but just pretend we all agree with the accepted view: rape is rape. Of course, a lot of views are expressed on the basis of nothing: I bet the people attacking or supporting Nick Ross haven't read his book but are responding to extracts presented - maybe out of context? - to them by newspaper journalists.

Even suggesting women have a duty to protect themselves and each other can bring hate down on your head, as I've discovered for myself: I suggested on Facebook that women on a night out shouldn't get so paralytic with drink and/or drugs, they put themselves in danger and that pals should look after each other if they got into that state. I wasn't thinking specifically about rape, in fact, since I'd just heard of a nursing student who got out of a taxi, turned the wrong way in an area she didn't know well, wandered about and fell into the river and drowned. Within a couple of days, I was wishing I'd kept my mouth shut.

The subject of race is the same. There have been some horrible racist views expressed in the press and in social networks about the killers of Lee Rigby. All Muslims are put into the same category: mad imams radicalising young men and sending them out to destroy western society. There is no evidence, of course, that anyone radicalised these young men or that the UK is awash with Muslims who plan to attack our way of life or want to do anything other than live a normal, ordinary life, go to school and college, bring up a family and hold down a job. And many people don't seem to understand that we're not talking about immigrants when we talk about Muslims in the UK. Most Muslims are British by birth. But all immigrants get lumped into one category and the cry goes up: deport them!

So here's a test: when a Lithuanian woman murdered her baby in Fraserburgh:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22677513 did we decide all Lithuanians were murderers?

And when a Slovak man murdered Moira Jones in Queens Park in Glasgow, did we decide all Slovaks were capable of such a crime? http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/08/slovakian-jailed-murder-glasgow

There are undoubtedly a small number of people in every community that we could happily live without  and maybe we need to talk about these issues, but let's try to do it calmly. We have a reputation for what the French call 'le fair-play'. Time we showed we know what that means.