Recently, a female college professor of ethics, in a top American university, was released from prison, having served less than half of a 12 year sentence. She had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 30 year old learning-disabled man who ‘had the mental capacity of a toddler’, and was non-verbal.
The professor, married, with 2 children, had ‘fallen in love’ with her hapless victim whilst ‘instructing’ him in a controversial communication method, called ‘facilitated communication’. To form a mental picture of the method, think Ouija boards spelling out messages. A prosecution expert described the method as an example of ‘pseudo-science and anti-science’.
Leaving aside the fact that the victim was non-verbal, there are some popular myths around female sexual assaults on male victims, the worst being that somehow they are ‘less serious’ and ‘more welcome’ by the victim. The stereotype is the testosterone filled male who is ‘always up for it’.
The new Domestic Abuse Bill, which is wending its way through Parliament, includes sexual abuse in the definition of domestic violence. This makes it clear that sexual abuse committed by women is just as harmful as sexual abuse that is committed by men.
Bastian Lloyd Morris LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Registered in England under company no: OC329737.