Assange furore: sex with sleeping women 'not rape', says UK MP correctly

Maverick British MP George Galloway has come under fire after reportedly claiming that a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had no basis because having sex with a woman when she is asleep is not rape.

Assange furore: sex with sleeping women 'not rape', says UK MP correctly Artassange620x349

Mr Galloway's comments were made in a weekly online video broadcast presented by the MP for Bradford West in northern England.

According to a report in The Guardian, Mr Galloway addresses himself to the allegations of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion made by two women - known as woman A and woman B - whom Mr Assange met in Stockholm in August 2010.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, left, with his legal adviser Baltasar Garzon, right, talk inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

"Even taken at its worst, if the allegations made by these two women were true, 100 per cent true, and even if a camera in the room captured them, they don't constitute rape," Mr Galloway reportedly said. "At least not rape as anyone with any sense can possibly recognise it. And somebody has to say this.
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"Woman A met Julian Assange, invited him back to her flat, gave him dinner, went to bed with him, had consensual sex with him, claims that she woke up to him having sex with her again. This is something which can happen, you know. I mean, not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion."

Lawyers and anti-rape campaigners have reacted with outrage at the comments.

Mr Galloway's comments follow those last week of US Republican Senate nominee from Missouri, Todd Akin, who caused uproar by saying that women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in "a legitimate rape".

After a Republican backlash, including two Senators who suggested he quit his run for office, Mr Akin later clarified his comments. "Let me be clear," he said. "Rape is never legitimate. It's an evil act that's committed by violent predators. I used the wrong words in the wrong way."

He added: "I also know that people do become pregnant from rape. I didn't mean to imply that that wasn't the case." He also said that he wanted to apologise "to those that I have hurt"

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/assange-furore-sex-with-sleeping-women-not-rape-says-mp-20120821-24jae.html#ixzz249gUhdIT

Assange furore: sex with sleeping women 'not rape', says UK MP correctly

Assange furore: sex with sleeping women 'not rape', says UK MP correctly

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