This may sound hard to believe for those of us with sex lives similar to the home life of our own dear Queen but there are times when non-fatal strangulation is in fact consensual. Some people really do get a kick out of it. Even MPs at times although at least one has taken it a little too far over the non- line.
The basis of a liberal society is that consenting adults get to do as consenting adults wish in hte absence of third party harm. This is thus an error:
Ministers will make non-fatal strangulation a specific criminal offence punishable by five years’ imprisonment following pressure from campaigners.
The government confirmed on Monday it would introduce the legislation as an amendment to the domestic abuse bill being debated in parliament.
Campaigners had pushed for a change in the law, with Lady Newlove, the former victims’ commissioner, putting down an amendment last month when the bill came to the House of Lords.
It will seek to address concerns that perpetrators can avoid punishment because strangulation and suffocation can at times leave no visible injury, making it hard to prosecute under existing laws.
If there’s no evidence – other than unsupported word – then the new offence becomes just as difficult to prosecute as the old ones of aggravated bodily harm and so on. There is no advance being made here.
But it is also true, however weird it might sound to Friends of Brenda, that some do get off on that consensual non-fatal strangulation. And no, not just the person applying the ligature.
Yes, it’s true, some do get off on power trips and sexual jollies from their power over others. Where this is non-consensual it should be prosecuted, no doubt about it. But it is still true that some consenting adults desire to have their breathing constrained.
You know, ain’t nothing so weird and varied as human sexuality.
This should not be made into a criminal offence. But it is. Therefore it’s a bad law.
Simples.
As always, I agree with the consenting adults argument. But since they don’t like people doing what they want, perhaps compulsory divorce and celibacy for those who don’t stick to the missionary position. Constant inspections by the Holy Brotherhood of Decency could ensure that disgusting deviance is discouraged. Maybe a chastity belt with an AI which keeps track of things for the Holy Brotherhood could be invented? Any depravity detected by the program could be punished by instant electric shocks. But it might get in the way. Perhaps it could be locked around the neck instead. Then if anyone strays,… Read more »
‘… following pressure from campaigners.’
Some people have a prurient interest in the sex lives of others. Perhaps that should be made an offence.
My state, last term, made sex with animals an offense. Never done it, but it strikes me that we didn’t need a law; in the unlikely event the animal is not amused, it has instant redress, a-k-a fangs. This, like that, is legislators corrupting their power solely to show how refined they are.
‘Gladvold’ we called it, me and my Norwegian.
One of our local radio hosts has always touted necrophilia as the ultimate victimless crime.
But not “consensual”
(I own my body, which is the basis of the presumption of individual liberty – Do I own my corpse?)
Cool argument!! I suppose in reality your family owns your corpse. But, while I’m definitely not anxious for someone to hasten and shuffle me off this mortal coil, once I’m gone I don’t really care what happens. If they’re hungry they can eat me. Or if they need spare parts they can use them. But the weakness of this position is that they’d feel, ‘The fresher the better.’ So lets just give him a little push. He’ll die some day anyway. Of course if I was writhing in agony, no doubt I’d be begging for a nice big dose of… Read more »
Won’t someone think of the relatives!!!?
There is always the Monty Python skit. “Burn her, bury her, or dump her.”
What this sort of thing does is make people who want to do what they have always done into criminals.
So they start lying and hiding what they are doing from the ‘authorities’.
And very soon they are actually committing ‘real’ criminal acts and hiding them from the authorities as well.
Which means that the authorities are forced to employ more people and enact draconian legislation in order to ‘control’ this wave of criminality. Which keeps them in a job.
Which was, of course, the point of it all along…