Britain gets tough on sex
2006-03-14 22:12
London - Britain's government launched a series of advertisements on Tuesday, warning men that they must get consent from their partner for sex, or risk going to jail.
The home office said the ads, which would be published in several men's magazines, displayed in public toilets and broadcast in radio spots, targeted 18- to 24-year-old men.
One magazine ad showed a man sitting on a bunk bed in a prison cell along with the warning: "If you don't get a 'yes,' who'll be your next sleeping partner?"
Another showed a woman with an "off limits" symbol on her underwear accompanied by the message: "Have sex with someone who hasn't said yes to it, and the next place you enter could be prison."
Sexual Offences Act
Conviction rates for reported rape cases across Britain had been falling.
The Sexual Offences Act passed two years ago required defendants in rape cases to show they had reason to believe their partner had given consent.
The campaign, which costs roughly £400 000 and runs through April, aimed to inform young men that assuming consent for sex without the partner saying "yes" fell short of meeting those guidelines.
Home office minister Fiona MacTaggart said: "I want young men to see these adverts and realise that they should not be having sex unless they have secured the consent of the other person.
"Our campaign is not saying, 'don't have sex'; it is about ensuring that sex is mutually agreed."
- AP