Wednesday 14 July 2010

Anonymity, rape and the burkha

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Two issues that have exercised the febrile minds of our chattering classes – anonymity in rape cases and banning (or not banning) the burkha. And there’s a link in the hypocrisy and self-righteous smugness of the cuddly lefties who like to pontificate on such matters.

Banning the burkha is wrong but authorities should be allowed to require the veils removal for justified reasons of identification. And, other than when that person’s safety is at risk, there should be no anonymity in the court system – whether in rape or any other crime.

The arguments put up by those most indignant about the proposals to grant some anonymity to those accused of rape are a pile of piffle constructed from the ruins of an army of straw men. If –dear lefty women – it is right to grant anonymity to the victim, it must also be right to grant anonymity to the accused. I know you like the word – that is FAIR. Stupid…but fair. A bit like granting anonymity to victims who might otherwise “not come forward because of the stigma” (one of the more nonsensical notions in all this debate).

In all this the lefties share common ground with the frothing nutters (and the French it seems) who think that the law should have anything to say about what we should or shouldn’t wear while going about our normal business. Ah, they say – we don’t know who they are, we can’t see their faces, they might be terrorists! This is the same argument as that used to argue against granting anonymity to men accused of rape – they might be serial rapists, there might be other witnesses, they might be allowed to walk free!

I don’t like burkhas or rapists but find the arguments about special treatment in both cases to be without any logic or sense – but that’s what we expect from the racist left and the cuddly left.

Hypocrisy.

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3 comments:

Kristofer Keane said...

What "lefties" are supporting the ban? The Communists, Greens and most Socialists in France abstained, and over here it's UKIP and the BNP that support this sort of nonsense legislation.

John Leach said...

Hi Simon,

I'm having trouble breaking through your own frothing sarcasm to quite understand your points clearly here!

John.

Simon Cooke said...

Inconsistency is a better word I guess John - the point is a bit forced I admit but my point is that the two arguments are different but have at root an illiberal and controlling motive.

And Kris - the BNP is a left-wing party