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Harriet Harman deserves congratulation for raising the issue of rape to proper prominence.
She is reported to have postponed an announcement about a review of rape victim support policy because of a dispute with officials about whether to widen its remit to include an investigation of low conviction rates. But she has done what she does best, which is generate publicity for an issue, even if her remedy is disputed.
Undoubtedly, Miss Harman is right to be worried about the conviction rate for rape in England and Wales which is low by European standards, at 6.5 per cent. But some at least of the problem of bringing rapists to justice and dealing fairly with victims has more to do with the proper workings of the criminal justice system and with decent policing than with problems in the law itself.
Many victims say that police are slow in responding to a report of rape, inefficient in gathering crucial evidence immediately after an assault and sometimes brusque in their attitudes. That can be remedied with proper training and swifter responses. For the conviction rate to rise, the attackers must first be caught and that is a matter of police priorities. Further, the sensitivities of women must be respected during the investigation.
Then there is the question of sentencing. The Attorney General, Lady Scotland, has, not for the first time, won an increase in a sentence on an exceptionally violent rapist, from four and a half years to seven years. Given the nature of the offences, the original sentence seems grossly inadequate and must have revolted the victims.
As for the approach of juries in rape trials, the Government has already introduced briefings for jurors, to explain aspects of the crime, for instance, explaining that victims who have been traumatised by an attack may not feel able to report the offence immediately. That useful move may yet have an effect on conviction rates.
There are two reviews of the rape laws which will report next month: one deals with the links between the sexualisation of girls and sexual violence. They must not be rushed or spun for political ends. But Miss Harman merits praise for giving the issue of rape real importance.
Alan Yentob on guard
Alan Yentob, the BBC's creative director, has defended his patch against political interference, with a lively broadside against the Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw.
Mr Bradshaw had intervened in the removal of Arlene Phillips from the judging panel of Strictly Come Dancing, saying that the BBC should not succumb to “the cult of youth”.
Mr Yentob also declared that “to some extent”, he could not take Harriet Harman, minister for women, seriously in saying that there should be more women on screen. “Do I think that it's the job of ministers to decide who is cast in shows?” he asked sardonically.
Mr Yentob is right to put ministers back in their box; the editorial independence of the Corporation is precious. In fact, concern about the dearth of older women on screen is probably more widely shared among viewers than he appears to acknowledge but politicians should not be the arbiters of these matters.
The BBC has been subjected to undue political influence in recent years: the ill-judged move of part of its operations to Salford is one result.
Yet moving the sports department away from London before the 2012 Olympics is bizarre. The pressure on the BBC to undergo “top-slicing”, giving other broadcasters a share of the licence fee for local reporting, was also unwise. The BBC has its faults but it needs champions like Mr Yentob.
Slur on Cicero
The distinguished author, Robert Harris, has dedicated his book on Cicero to his friend, Peter Mandelson. The move suggests he may see the Business Secretary in that light.
But Cicero was one of the great orators of the age, a noted philosopher and a champion of the Republic. Lord Mandelson, for all his merits, isn't quite his equivalent.
