Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president, the campaign announced Sunday.
© Getty Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson endorses Sanders
"A people far behind cannot catch up choosing the most moderate path," Jackson said in a statement. "The most progressive social and economic path gives us the best chance to catch up and Senator Bernie Sanders represents the most progressive path. That's why I choose to endorse him today."
Jackson said Vice President Joe Biden's campaign had not reached out or asked for his endorsement.
Jackson said the Vermont progressive answered the concerns of the black community in his support of voting rights and renewing the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. The civil rights leader plans to speak at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Mich., Sunday.
He said the "black firewall" has changed the dynamics of the election, and campaigns need to appeal to the black community.
"That's some of what the firewall needs and that Senator Sanders has committed himself to, and that's why I can enthusiastically endorse Senator Bernie Sanders today," he said, citing Sanders's wealth tax and "Medicare for All" plans.
Sanders announced the endorsement on ABC's "This Week" Sunday after host George Stephanopoulos noted Biden's wins on Super Tuesday and support from nine former presidential candidates. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) offered her support to the former vice president Sunday.
"It's no secret, George, you know politics in this country, we're not going to get the most support of elected leaders, not most governors, not most senators," Sanders responded. "But we are winning the support of grassroots America because we have an agenda that speaks to working people."
"[Jackson has] been a leader in helping to transform this country, an aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., so we're proud," Sanders said.
JUST IN: Sen. Bernie Sanders tells @GStephanopoulos that civil rights activist Jesse Jackson will endorse him later today.
"We have the support of virtually every major grassroots organization." https://t.co/X1LhrSyd0J pic.twitter.com/ABbajFTKab- This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 8, 2020
Biden won 10 of 14 states that voted in Super Tuesday and now sits at 664 delegates. Sanders has 573 delegates allocated to him, although the Super Tuesday delegates have not been completely distributed
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`We can do it,' say young believers fueling Sanders campaign
The Canadian Press March 8, 2020
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — They've watched their parents and friends struggle to pay medical bills. They've spent time in Spain, Australia and other countries where people don't have the same worry. They live at home instead of the college dorm to try to cut down on what they'll owe in loans. They question whether to have kids in an environment where the effects of climate change are getting worse by the day.
The young Bernie Sanders supporters who gathered for a Super Tuesday watch party in Michigan came with reasons both personal and ideological for wanting him to be president. But they were all asking the same question: Why can't things be different?
“Young people are aspirational," said Jaclyn Schess, 24, a health economics researcher at the University of Michigan. She sat on a folding chair inside the Sanders campaign's Ann Arbor office watching returns projected on a screen from the online news network The Young Turks. "We can look at what's happening now without being weighed down by the failures of the past and say ‘Our country deserves better. ... We can do it.'”
As Sanders tries to top former Vice-President Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist's most enduring support has come from voters under age 30 like Schess. They are moved by Sanders' vision for the country — of a place where everyone has health care, college is free and rich people and corporations don't have more political influence than teachers and students — and his consistency on the issues.
They don't believe his ideas are unrealistic or unaffordable. To them, the main argument that President Donald Trump and others have used against Sanders — that he's a “socialist” who wants to give everything away for free — isn't at all scary and may be a point in Sanders' favour .
Those young voters remain the backbone of Sanders' effort, though they weren't enough for him to stop Biden from leapfrogging him in the delegate count on Super Tuesday. Sanders won four states out of 14, including California, with support from 57% of voters under 30, according to AP VoteCast surveys of voters across eight of the states that voted.
But those young voters made up just 15% of the vote, putting pressure on Sanders to increase that vote share or broaden his appeal — or both — as the race moves on to Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Mississippi on Tuesday and elsewhere after that.
The biggest delegate haul this week will be Michigan. Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton there in 2016, thanks in part to strong support in counties that are home to colleges such as the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
A big part of Sanders' success is that he's empowered younger voters and made them feel they are part of a movement in a way few politicians have done since Barack Obama in 2008, said John Della Volpe,director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics.
Their potential political power is notable. Generation Z — those between 18 and 23 — make up 1 in 10 eligible voters,and is the only generation that has grown by percentage of eligible voting population since 2016, according to the Pew Research Center.
AP VoteCast shows these young voters more likely than those older to be liberal ideologically. Sixty per cent of voters under 30 across eight Super Tuesday states surveyed described themselves as liberal and 39% said they are “very liberal.” But they have historically turned out to vote at much lower rates than older voters, a trend that has continued this primary season.
“If they all voted at close to the proportion of older voters it's a completely different country,” Della Volpe said.
Sanders said at a post-Super Tuesday news conference that his campaign hasn't been as successful as he'd hoped at getting young people out to vote. In a sign he's ramping up those efforts in Michigan, he cancelled events in Mississippi to spend more time in Michigan, including a Sunday night rally in Ann Arbor, hosted by the university's chapter of Students for Bernie. Sanders drew almost 6,000 people to a rally on the campus in 2016, days before his surprise win in the state over Clinton.
“The vision he’s talking about is of the world that we want," said Emily Moos, 22, who works as an environmental organizer registering young people to vote in Ann Arbor.
Moos was among those at the Super Tuesday gathering who believe the influence of money, particularly from fossil fuel companies and other corporations, has corrupted U.S. politics, affecting everything from the climate crisis to health care and the minimum wage.
Sanders has raised over $120 million this election cycle, including more than $25 million in January, from over 1.5 million people while refusing money from corporations and political action committees. That's a big reason Sanders' supporters are choosing him over rivals such as Biden, who they say is influenced by PACs and large-dollar donors.
“How can we trust anybody if they have to kind of kneel to these corporate entities?" said Matthew Rodriguez, 29, who is studying in the University of Michigan's school of social work. "We can trust Bernie. When he says he’ll fight for these things, we know he’ll fight for it no matter what.”
That extends to health care and Sanders' push for “Medicare for All,” which his rivals have described as a pipe dream.
Jonah Hahn, 25, said he saw firsthand how it could work when he was living in Spain for a fellowship. That country's national health care system provides universal coverage and access to free health care for Spanish nationals. In the private insurance market, Hahn paid $60 per month for everything, with no copays. Back in the U.S. he pays a $50 copay to see a specialist, after a $300 monthly premium.
“Nothing convinces you about the importance of universal health care like living in a country that has it,” said Hahn, who considers himself a democratic socialist. “It’s not like I needed to be radicalized, but when you actually see it, you say 'OK, Spain has certain political issues, but no one is debating whether their health care system works or not.’”
What if Sanders isn't the nominee? University of Michigan student Keegan Cupp, 18, said he's “Bernie or bust,” and will stay home. But he was the only one of about a dozen people interviewed who said so.
“I dislike Trump to the highest degree and I will hold my nose and vote for Biden if I have to," Rodriguez said.
Emily Arking, 18, said if Sanders isn't the nominee it “will be a big bummer” because it will be her first election voting. But it won't stop her.
“I was talking to my dad earlier and he told me that there were plenty of times he's walked into the voting booth and just let out a huge sigh because he didn’t like who he was voting for,” she said. “But he did it nonetheless.”
Schess said she was disappointed to hear there was anyone in the room who planned to stay home.
“You’re contributing to Trump winning if you don’t vote," she said. “There’s too much at stake.”
___
Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.
Sara Burnett, The Associated Press
Women's rights activists attacked then detained in Kyrgyzstan
Reuters March 8, 2020
BISHKEK (Reuters) - Police in Kyrgyzstan detained dozens of women's rights activists on Sunday shortly after journalists witnessed the protesters being attacked by masked men.
The activists gathered in one of the squares of capital Bishkek in the Central Asian country, to stage a march of solidarity against violence on International Women's Day.
But masked men, some of whom wore traditional Kyrgyz white felt hats, attacked the protesters, grabbing and tearing apart their banners, in the presence of multiple journalists including a Reuters reporter.
The attackers left as soon as police arrived on the scene and proceeded to detain about 50 activists, mostly women.
It was unclear what charges they could face. The Bishkek police department could not be immediately reached for comment.
Citing multiple cases of forced marriage and domestic violence, activists say women's rights are deteriorating in the former Soviet republic of 6 million amid a resurgence of right-wing ideology.
Last December, an art exhibition in Kyrgyzstan that featured a woman undressing in front of an audience was censored by the government, and the head of the gallery resigned after receiving death threats.
(Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko and Vladimir Pirogov; writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters hold vigil to mourn student's death
Reuters March 8, 2020
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hundreds of black-clad Hong Kong protesters, holding candles, returned on Sunday to the parking lot where a student fell to his death in November, vowing to continue their fight for greater democracy in the Chinese-ruled city.
The death of Chow Tsz-lok, 22, who fell from the third to the second floor in a parking lot in the eastern Tseung Kwan O district as police cleared crowds in the area, was the catalyst for some of the most intense clashes since the protests escalated in June last year.
Fears over the coronavirus have reduced the scale and frequency of protests this year, but there have been violent demonstrations on some weekends in a sign the pro-democracy movement remains active.
On Sunday evening, protesters, mostly in trademark black clothing and surgical masks, laid down white flowers, origami cranes and messages on colored post-it notes at a makeshift altar where placards read "Keep the heat; Fight until the end".
One protester was waving a "Liberate Hong Kong" black flag, while a banner that read "murderer" was hung up.
There was a heavy riot police presence nearby and at least one arrest was made.
“It’s very touching. When I came here half an hour ago I almost cried, because I didn’t expect so many people would come today," said 22-year-old computer programer Sean Chow, who is not related to the student who died.
"(His death) means something that is unresolved and something that needs to be fully investigated and I believe all the people here want an answer. It's an absolute tragedy."
Earlier on Sunday, Hong Kong police said they arrested 17 people, aged between 21 and 53, during an overnight raid of 22 flats in relation to a series of bomb plots between late January and early February.
Items including three homemade bombs, three electronic circuits and 2,600 kilograms of chemicals were found.
"In recent months Hong Kong has been faced with an ongoing ... violent campaign designed to intimidate, in order to try to achieve political aims," Alick McWhirter, senior bomb disposal officer of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau told reporters.
"It seems a potential tragedy has been averted."
Police said the bombs were intended to be used in public events and aimed at police officers.
Protesters are angry about what they see as creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms that are not enjoyed on the mainland.
China says it is committed to the arrangement and denies meddling. It has accused foreign governments including the United States and Britain of inciting the unrest.
Peter Lorre Reads The Cask of Amontillado
by Edgar Allan Poe
https://ia801008.us.archive.org/2/items/thecaskofamontilladopeterlorre/The%20Cask%20of%20Amontillado_Peter%20Lorre.mp3
A FAVORITE REVENGER STORY
READ BY A FAVORITE CHARACTER ACTOR
Publication date 1952-03-09
Topics Edgar Allan Poe, Old Time Radio, OTR, Peter Lorre, radio drama, radio horror
Language English
A recording of Master of Terror Peter Lorre's performance of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale of revenge.
Originally performed on NBC Radio's THE BIG SHOW on March 9, 1952.
Read by Christopher Lee The Masque of the Red Death
by Edgar Allan Poe
https://ia801400.us.archive.org/9/items/themasqueofthereddeathchristopherlee/The%20Masque%20of%20the%20Red%20Death%20-%20Christopher%20Lee.mp3"
The Masque of the Red Death", originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy", is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842.
The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball within seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different colour.
In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero confronts this stranger, whose "costume" proves to contain nothing tangible inside....
Full worm supermoon will illuminate the sky this weekend
By Ashley Strickland, CNN
A supermoon heralding spring will light up the sky Sunday and Monday. The true full moon occurs Monday, but it will appear full for three days from early Sunday until early Wednesday, according to NASA.
© Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A man rides a snowboard at Abali ski resort of Gevas district as Supermoon is seen over Turkey's Van on February 19, 2019. Supermoon is a full moon that almost coincides with the closest distance that the Moon reaches to Earth in its elliptic orbit, resulting in a larger-than-usual visible size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth
For those in the US, March's full moon also happens during Daylight Saving Time -- so don't forget to "spring forward" and set those clocks an hour ahead.
Supermoons occur when the moon is within 90% of perigree, or its closest approach to Earth in orbit. The moon will appear brighter and bigger in the night sky and hopefully no clouds and inclement weather will obscure the view.
March's full moon is also known as the Full Worm Moon. Traditional and Native American names for each full moon of the year are derived by how they helped to track the seasons. In this case, the ground began to soften in March so that earthworms could appear, drawing more birds to feed, according to the Farmer's Almanac. This moon is associated with spring for that reason.
This year, the spring equinox occurs on March 19, and it's arriving earlier than it has in more than a hundred years.
This full moon also goes by other names, including the crow moon, the crust moon, the sap moon, the Lenten moon and the sugar moon, largely to herald the arrival of spring, and in the case of the Lenten moon, the Catholic season of Lent.
Normally, there are 12 full moons in a year because one occurs each month. But in 2020, October will have two full moons, once on October 1 and then again on October 31.
Two full moons in the same month is known as a "blue moon." And the fact that the second one falls on Halloween truly makes this event "once in a blue moon."
This year will have up to four supermoons total, when the moon appears even larger and brighter in our sky. The next supermoon will occur on April 7. 
© Lavandeira JR/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Mandatory Credit: Photo by LAVANDEIRA JR/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (10161467b) A view of the supermoon that announces the start of the spring over the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, Galicia, Spain, 20 March 2019. Super moon in Santiago de Compostela, Santiago De Compostela (Es-Es), Spain - 20 Mar 20
The Lair Of The White Worm (40-chapter version)
by Stoker, Bram, 1847-1912
Publication date 1911
Topics monsters, fiction
Language English
The originally published 40-chapter version of The Lair of the White Worm, published by W. Rider and Son in 1911. (This is different from the abridged, partly rewritten 28-chapter version that was published after Stoker's death, and that can be found online at various sites.) Scanned by Google from the University of Chicago library, but with the title page and illustrations stripped out of the PDF file Google provides. Uploaded to the Internet Archive by John Mark Ockerbloom
audio
LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM
Topics Radio Drama, Supernatural, Bram Stoker, The Lair of The White Worm
THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM
By Bram Stoker
Adapted by
Sony Gold Award-winner Brian Wright
A Gothic horror from the author of Dracula,set in 1870
in the High Peak district of Derbyshire.
While on a visit to his elderly uncle in the tiny village of
Penda's Dale, Adam Salton, already shocked by the
oppressive melancholic atmosphere in the village, quickly
realises that the disappearance of several local men is not
accidental.
His investigations lead him to the discovery of a terrifying
and ancient secret: a malevolent force is at work in Penda's
Dale.
Sit back and listen. . .if you dare!
Starring Jimi Mistry
A specially commissioned soundtrack from the San Fransisico-based sound sculptors Matmos.
BBC World Service
Supernatural Season
(04-12-2004)
audio
The Conqueror Worm
by Edgar Allan Poe
Publication date 2017-05-14
Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0
Topics librivox, audiobooks, literature, poetry, horror, fantasy, theater
LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of The Conqueror Worm by Edgar Allan Poe.
This was the Weekly Poetry project for April 30, 2107.
Read in English by Antonio Soto Patiño; Burt Culver; Bruce Kachuk; dg73; David Lawrence; Joy Baker; Nemo; Phil Schempf; Sonia; Tony Addison and Tomas Peter.
Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole, and he was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story. Poe is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. - Summary by Wikipedia
For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats (if available), please go to the LibriVox catalog page for this recording.
For more free audio books or to become a volunteer reader, visit LibriVox.org.
M4B Audiobook (12MB)
Poems by Edgar Allan Poe : complete, with an original memoir
by Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849
https://archive.org/details/poemsbyedgaralla00poee/page/n5/mode/2up
Publication date 1863
Topics Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849 -- Poetry, Fantasy poetry
Publisher New York : W.J. Widdleton
Collection Boston_College_Library; blc; americana
Digitizing sponsor Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries
Contributor Boston College
Language English
278, 10 pages, [1] leaf of plates : 15 cm
Publisher's advertisements: 10 pages at end
Engraved frontispiece portrait of Poe protected by enclosed guardsheet
Preface to the poems -- Contents -- Memoir of Edgar Allan Poe -- The raven -- Lenore -- Hymn -- A valentine -- The Coluseum -- To Helen -- To ---- ---- -- Ulalume -- The bells -- An enigma -- Annabel Lee -- To my mother -- The haunted palace -- The conqueror worm -- To F----s S. O----d -- To one in Paradise -- The valley of unrest -- The city in the sea -- The sleeper -- Silence -- A dream within a dream -- Dreamland -- To Zante -- Eulalie -- Eldorado -- Israfel -- For Annie -- To ---- -- Bridal ballad -- To F---- -- Scenes from "Politian" -- Sonnet--To science -- Al Aaraaf -- To the river ---- -- Tamerlane -- To ---- -- A dream -- Romance -- Fairy-land -- The lake----To ---- -- Song -- To M.L. S---- -- Notes to Al Aaraaf -- The poetic principle
Virgin Media data breach that exposes personal details of 900,000 customers
‘Protecting our customers’ data is a top priority and we sincerely apologise,’ says firm
Mike Bedigan
Hundreds of thousands of customers' details were exposed ( Getty )
Virgin Media has apologised after a data breach left the personal details of around 900,000 customers unsecured and accessible.
The company said that the breach occurred after one of its marketing databases was “incorrectly configured” which allowed unauthorised access.
It assured those affected by the breach that the database “did not include any passwords or financial details” but said it contained information such as names, home and email addresses, and phone numbers.
Virgin said that access to the database had been shut down immediately following the discovery but by that time the database was accessed “on at least one occasion”.
It added that it was unsure the extent of the access or if any information was actually used.
It has been reported that the database has been unsecured since April 2019.
In a statement, the company said: “We recently became aware that one of our marketing databases was incorrectly configured which allowed unauthorised access.
“We immediately solved the issue by shutting down access to this database, which contained some contact details of approximately 900,000 people, including fixed line customers representing approximately 15% of that customer base.
“Protecting our customers’ data is a top priority and we sincerely apologise.
“The database did not include any passwords or financial details, such as credit card information or bank account numbers, but did contain limited contact information such as names, home and email addresses and phone numbers.
“Based upon our investigation, Virgin Media does believe that the database was accessed on at least one occasion but we do not know the extent of the access or if any information was actually used.
“We are now contacting those affected to inform them of what happened. We urge people to remain cautious before clicking on an unknown link or giving any details to an unverified or unknown party.”
Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert, said: “This data breach has exposed the data of almost a million Virgin Media customers and whilst no financial details or passwords were included, those customers are likely to be worried.
“It is vital that Virgin Media continues to provide clear information on what has happened.
“For anyone concerned they could be affected – it’s good practice to update your password after a data breach. Also, be wary of emails regarding the breach, as scammers may try and take advantage of it.”
Virgin said that online security advice and help on a range of topics is available to customers on its website.
Rough sex defence: If the government bans it, what will that mean?
The Home Office announced it will be looking at ‘rough sex’ laws as part of the new Domestic Abuse Bill, but what will it mean? Sophie Gallagher asks campaigners
Grace Millane’s murder is the most recent, well-publicized, example of it being used ( PA )
The new domestic abuse bill, which was postponed at the end of 2019 when Boris Johnson prorogued parliament, is due to have its first reading in the House of Commons on Thursday.
As well as potentially introducing measures like banning domestic abusers cross-examining their victims in court and requiring councils to provide accommodation for victims and their children, it is also reportedly looking at laws around the “rough sex” defence.
Announcing the return of the bill to parliament, the Home Office said it was considering how it could curb the use of the “rough sex” defence within the legal system of England and Wales.
But what is the “rough sex” defence, how is it used and what would a change in the law mean for perpetrators, victims and legislators?
What is the rough sex defence?
The so-called “rough sex” defence (otherwise known as the “50 shades of grey” defence) is increasingly used in UK courts in cases of sexual violence – that either end in murder or serious harm – to explain why the violence occurred.
It was most recently highlighted in the high profile trial of the killer of British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand when his defence argued that Millane had died accidentally in a “sex game gone wrong” after she had pursued BDSM-style sex.
Read more
Women fleeing domestic abuse to be offered free train travel
Her killer was eventually sentenced to life in prison but Louise Perry, who co-runs We Can’t Consent To This, a group that raises awareness of the “rough sex” defence, with founder Fiona McKenzie, says often it results in reduced sentencing.
Perry tells The Independent that the “rough sex” defence is similar to the “nagging and shagging defence” when juries are persuaded that male perpetrators were justified in their violence because of their female partner’s behaviour, such as decreased frequency of sex or nagging.
“This is not officially a defence in law, but juries are sympathetic towards it, they can relate. It creates a sense of diminished responsibility,” she explains. “When people hear ‘rough sex’ they think of BDSM: maybe some Ann Summers fluffy handcuffs and they feel they can relate, but this is not that at all. We’re seeing examples of horrific internal injuries in these cases. But it helps the perpetrators to frame it like this.”
Another example of this type of defence is the ‘big penis’ defence, which was successfully used by a Florida man in 2017 to get off a second-degree murder charge after his girlfriend died during oral sex.
Is this a new problem?
The earliest UK example of “rough sex” being used as a defence in a murder trial was in the 1972 trial of Carole Califano’s killer. Califano had been trying to leave her abusive partner. Using the defence meant his sentence was downgraded from murder to manslaughter at trial.
So although this isn’t a new problem, Perry and McKenzie say usage is on the rise. McKenzie established We Can’t Consent To This in 2018 after becoming increasingly distressed at its increased use, particularly in the Natalie Connolly case in December 2018.
Connolly was killed by her partner at their home in Worcestershire in 2016. She died of vaginal arterial bleeding and suffered 40 separate injuries including serious internal trauma, a fractured eye socket, and facial wounds. Her partner claimed it was a result of sex games “gone wrong”, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.
Killers are becoming increasingly aware of this defence – lawyers aren’t meant to propose it but people are aware of it, and its potential success
McKenzie was so angered by the verdict that she started keeping a catalogue of all the examples she could find where the “rough sex” defence was used. Today the list numbers over 60 women from the UK whose killers have made this defence. The vast majority have been killed in the UK, though a few (such as Grace Millane) died overseas.
The total number worldwide is much larger, says Perry, and they are in the process of working with other women outside the UK to collect this data. In the last five years, 18 women and girls have been killed in claimed consensual violent sexual activity. The most recent being Anna Florence Reed in April 2019.
“Killers are becoming increasingly aware of this [defence] – lawyers aren’t meant to propose it but people are aware of it, and its potential success,” says Perry. “Men have always murdered women, this is just a new way of getting rid of them.”
Why is this increasing now?
Perry says there is no definitive reason behind the rise but that more liberal attitudes towards violence in the bedroom have to be taken into account.
A BBC study in 2019 found more than a third of UK women under the age of 40 have experienced unwanted slapping, choking or gagging during consensual sex. Of the women who experienced these acts, 20 per cent said they had been left upset or frightened.
“We can’t really ignore the porn factor,” says Perry, “It’s there at a click of a button and can be accessed at such a young age. And the algorithms push you into a rabbit hole of more and more extreme stuff.”
She says it’s not just porn sites that are problematic either – citing mainstream social media platforms where sexual images can be found.
In four of the most recent killings recorded by We Can’t Consent To This, the men viewed ‘extreme porn’ featuring violence including strangulation and killing of women before or after the killing of the women.
How will the government change the law?
In theory, the “rough sex” defence shouldn’t work for defendants in England and Wales; for almost 30 years case law since the 1993 R v. Brown test case, which dictated that you cannot “consent” in a meaningful sense to having serious violence or death inflicted upon you.
Anything more than “transient or trifling” injuries were deemed not able to be consented to.
Read more
64% of referrals to domestic abuse refuges refused due to funding
“This has been the case on paper for nearly 30 years,” says Perry. “But in practice giving a claim of ‘sex games gone wrong’ gives too good a chance of lesser charge, a lighter sentence or death or assault not being investigated as a crime at all.”
Precise details about the proposed changes to the domestic abuse bill have not been released yet but they are likely to mirror suggestions made by MPs Harriet Harman and Mark Garnier.
Both politicians proposed to move the case law of R v. Brown into statute and to introduce a Director of Public Prosecutions review when prosecutors are proposing to charge a lesser crime, like manslaughter, in a domestic homicide.
These additions to the law will make it more likely that consent cases are successfully prosecuted in England and Wales.
We Can’t Consent To This also want strangulation to be recognised as a “serious assault” under the proposed changes
