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| Rape plea proposal 'still being considered' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The government says it is still considering whether rapists should get a 50% reduction in their jail sentences in return for an early guilty plea. | |
| Labour has called on ministers to scrap the proposal, calling it unacceptable. | |
| Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has been criticised for comments he made in a BBC radio interview about the idea in which he appeared to suggest some rapes were less serious than others. | |
| A Downing Street spokesman said "We are not setting out the policy imminently." | |
| Mr Clarke will face more questions about his remarks on BBC's Question Time later, which will be broadcast from Wormwood Scrubs in west London, with inmates included in the audience. | |
| Currently, offenders who plead guilty at the earliest opportunity are entitled to a reduction in their sentence up to a maximum of 33%. | |
| Resignation call | Resignation call |
| The row began on Wednesday morning with remarks Mr Clarke gave in an interview on BBC Radio 5 live about proposals under consultation to halve jail terms for people who plead guilty early, including rapists. | The row began on Wednesday morning with remarks Mr Clarke gave in an interview on BBC Radio 5 live about proposals under consultation to halve jail terms for people who plead guilty early, including rapists. |
| He disputed reports that the average sentence for rape was five years - but his remarks that "serious rape" attracted a much longer sentence have been heavily criticised. | |
| Ken Clarke is probably safe in his job for now. | Ken Clarke is probably safe in his job for now. |
| In part that's because the Labour leader demanded he be sacked, thereby making it almost impossible for Mr Cameron to offer up his scalp. | In part that's because the Labour leader demanded he be sacked, thereby making it almost impossible for Mr Cameron to offer up his scalp. |
| Mr Cameron is also hugely averse to being pushed around by the media. | Mr Cameron is also hugely averse to being pushed around by the media. |
| At the same time Mr Clarke adds ballast and balance to a cabinet which would otherwise be bereft of that rare breed - one-nation, pro-European Tories. | At the same time Mr Clarke adds ballast and balance to a cabinet which would otherwise be bereft of that rare breed - one-nation, pro-European Tories. |
| Longer term, however, there will be some in government who think the old political bruiser should move on. | Longer term, however, there will be some in government who think the old political bruiser should move on. |
| Not just because of today's headlines, but because his manner and tone jar with the more modern, metropolitan image of the Conservative Party that David Cameron has tried to create. | Not just because of today's headlines, but because his manner and tone jar with the more modern, metropolitan image of the Conservative Party that David Cameron has tried to create. |
| When BBC interviewer Victoria Derbyshire told him "rape is rape", he replied: "No it's not, if an 18-year-old has sex with a 15-year-old and she's perfectly willing, that is rape because she is under age, she can't consent. What you and I are talking about is we are talking about a man forcibly having sex with a woman and she doesn't want to - a serious crime." | |
| He later said he had been responding to the average sentencing figures and had always considered rape to be a serious crime. | |
| He was confronted on the radio phone-in show by sex attack victim Gabrielle Browne. | |
| Mrs Browne, who has waived her right to anonymity, later told the Daily Telegraph: "Ken Clarke didn't listen. His comment about not all rapes really being rape was disgraceful for a man in his position, a man of previous ministerial experience and previous experience as a barrister. | |
| "He did not show empathy or understanding. If he can't open his eyes and ears and listen and see life from a victim's perspective then he should resign." | |
| Mr Clarke has not apologised for his remarks in general, but he has written to Mrs Browne saying: "I have always believed that all rape is extremely serious, and must be treated as such. | Mr Clarke has not apologised for his remarks in general, but he has written to Mrs Browne saying: "I have always believed that all rape is extremely serious, and must be treated as such. |
| "I am sorry if my comments gave you any other impression or upset you." | "I am sorry if my comments gave you any other impression or upset you." |
| Labour leader Ed Miliband has said Mr Clarke should quit for effectively suggesting there are "other categories of rape". | Labour leader Ed Miliband has said Mr Clarke should quit for effectively suggesting there are "other categories of rape". |
| After Mr Clarke's radio comments, David Cameron told MPs rape was "one of the most serious crimes that there is and it should be met with proper punishment" and the "real disgrace" was that only 6% of reported rape cases ended in a conviction. | After Mr Clarke's radio comments, David Cameron told MPs rape was "one of the most serious crimes that there is and it should be met with proper punishment" and the "real disgrace" was that only 6% of reported rape cases ended in a conviction. |
| The prime minister's spokesman said it was "clearly regrettable" if anybody had been offended by Mr Clarke's comments but said the prime minister had confidence in him. | The prime minister's spokesman said it was "clearly regrettable" if anybody had been offended by Mr Clarke's comments but said the prime minister had confidence in him. |
| He added that no final decision had yet been taken on whether to increase the maximum sentence discount for a guilty plea from 33% to 50%, saying: "Clearly we continue to listen to people's views." | |
| Jail terms | |
| "Rape is rape," said Angie Conroy, policy officer at Rape Crisis. "For every individual woman who is raped, the ordeal is traumatic, it destroys their lives, it takes years to recover from it. | "Rape is rape," said Angie Conroy, policy officer at Rape Crisis. "For every individual woman who is raped, the ordeal is traumatic, it destroys their lives, it takes years to recover from it. |
| "So this idea that some rape is worse than others, I think it's quite outrageous really." | "So this idea that some rape is worse than others, I think it's quite outrageous really." |
| But she told BBC Breakfast on Thursday: "I know lots of people are calling for his (Mr Clarke's) resignation, but I think the debate that it's stimulated, and the fact that he has obviously spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about what he said and actually ultimately came back and apologised, I think it's been quite an interesting process. | But she told BBC Breakfast on Thursday: "I know lots of people are calling for his (Mr Clarke's) resignation, but I think the debate that it's stimulated, and the fact that he has obviously spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about what he said and actually ultimately came back and apologised, I think it's been quite an interesting process. |
| "I shouldn't think he is going to make those kind of mistakes again in a hurry." | "I shouldn't think he is going to make those kind of mistakes again in a hurry." |
| The Question Time audience will include 10 inmates and 10 prison staff as well as 100 members of the public. | The Question Time audience will include 10 inmates and 10 prison staff as well as 100 members of the public. |