New law ‘puts needs of survivors above the needs of rapists’, says MP Natalie Fleet, who campaigned for the change
Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/oct/22/sex-offenders-to-be-denied-parental-responsibility-for-children-born-of
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I’m so used to bad news nowadays that I was confused and was trying to find the catch in the article. But it seems there is none, just a good reasonable decision from what I understand?
Perhaps this should be reposted to uplifting News?
Only downside is that it’s happening so late. I mean, it’s 2025…
Best time was then, second best time is now. Don’t lament the delay, celebrate the win and move on to the next goal.
Considering the other repressive slop thats been coming out of England lately, I’m still extremely wary.
Seems depressing considering it seems so basic
I was worried after reading this article and the gov.uk article where every instance of ‘rapist’ is assumed to be male and every victim is female, but the wording of the actual amendment seems to be gender-neutral. Seems straightforward, and also surprising that something like this wasn’t on the books already.
Am an american and would like some clarification. Does the effect things like child support at all? Is that a thing in the UK I always assumed it was but through my reading of the article I didn’t see it mentioned but I am a dumbass anday have missed it.
That’s awesome. But this is the UK so is it going to acknowledge that women can rape men?
Yes, the language is gender neutral.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/victims-and-courts-bill
Edit: The language in Victims and Courts Bill is gender neutral and many sections would apply to all genders, but the specific rape definition remains unchanged.
Which part of the UK legal definition of rape is gender neutral?
Sorry, I misunderstood the meaning behind the comment above.
This doesn’t change the definiton of Sexual Offences Act 2003, Section 1, so it would still only apply to people with a “penis”. But the Victims and Courts Bill has many other sections that would apply to all genders.
