Myth No 1

Sexual assault occurred.

If anyone can point out at any point where "Claire" engaged in sex due to coercion, force or threat, or at any time did not give verbal consent, or was a minor, or mentally retarded, then the matter of assault could be contemplated.

Otherwise "Claire" must be considered to be at the time a willing participant (if not the instigator) of the sexual encounter.

The fact that later she sufferred from extreme remorse does not suddenly change the actions of the players from idiotic participants to rapists.

If she is the victim it is of her own bad judgement and probably her upbringing.

So you have a group of football players and a 19 year old girl. I don't think you can call the boys idiotic participants. Can you not see how intimidating it would be with all of those men. As stated in the article, the footy players don't go for strong, confident women, they go for the shy and easy to manipulate type. We have to stop accepting this behaviour.

I also agree that if men get on board and speak out against this behaviour it makes a big difference.

And on the comment on upbringing, I think that many of the footy boys had a great upbringing, but they still think it's ok to cheat on their wives and take part in group sex and intimidating women. Upbringing goes out the door when you are in a group. Group mentality rules, especially in a heirarchical situation such as a group of footy players and a young girl.

Till,

You refer to "Claire" as a young girl of 19. (some of the players were 20)

At 18 a person can vote, sign up for military service, and is considered fully capable of making decisions for themselves.

Or perhaps you consider women intellectually inferior, and they should be protected from making the wrong decision? Perhaps they should not be allowed to leave the house unescorted, or drive or vote just in case they make a decision they may regret.

Freedom includes the right to make the wrong decision.

"It is an absolute myth that women make up stories of abuse"

There is a story about a cabbie who was accused of sexual assault.
http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=3733

Unfortunately for the women involved he had a camera in his cab.

The Duke Lacrosse scandal where the males were persecuted before the truth came out.

Miranda Devine wrote an interesting article about Men being scolded into timidity.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/natural-men-scolded-into-timidity-20090520-bfn3.html

Leslie Cannold wrote Sexual Freedom wont spare you regret.
"It felt really good at the time but afterwards I felt cheated and used."
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/sexual-freedom-wont-spare-you-regret-20090524-bj6d.html

It is most certainly the victim's fault if the so-called victim starts the ball rolling willingly then panics afterwards and poses as a victim.

The author writes 'What we need are more blokes willing to have the guts to tell other blokes what's right and what's wrong."'

Suddenly everyone who championed moral relativism wants to impose moral absolutes. Well just happens that these days people are so divided on what is right and wrong that Danielle or myself don't really have the right to impose our opinions (unless of course their is an absolute authority).

I wonder how many champion the porn industry portraying woman loving having men penetrate them in every available place and then want to complain about the fruit of this perverted behaviour. Now we have a strip club being promoted by news networks because they are supposedly banning NRL players. What a righteous bunch they are.