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Campaigners have accused Scotland Yard officers of being politically correct for not using the term "gang rape" in a report to police leaders.
The study used the phrase "multi-perpetrator rape" when describing sex attacks involving two or or more culprits. The Met said the wording had been carefully chosen because many of the offences involved two or more people but were not carried out by criminal gangs.
Some community activists had previously suggested the phrase "gang rape" had racist connotations. The report by Detective Chief Inspector Mark Yexley said the "common parlance for this offence is 'gang' rape". But it adds: "Care has been taken with the definition of the term 'gang' in this paper."
Chrissie Maher, founder of the Plain English Campaign, told the Daily Mail: "I am disgusted to my very bones. There is no better way of defining gang rape. Ask the public if they need an academic study to work that out."
New figures show that 111 rapists who admitted the crime - which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison - were let off with a caution between May 2004 and the end of 2007. The figures included 66 cases of child rape, which may have involved young offenders.
Reader views (11)
In the film the Accused, Jodie fosters charater is raped by a number of men ,one after another and it couldn't be a group effort as they took it in terms but it was a multiple rape,so if it went to caught it couldn't be called gang rape
- John, london
"Some community activists had previously suggested the phrase "gang rape" had racist connotations."
Only someone with a guilty conscience could make such an absurd statement.
The Police have huge manuals detailing "appropriate language", much of which is not used in common parlance. Little wonder that they have so much trouble communicating and engaging with the general public.
Still, keeps the PC nutters in the "diversity management" departments off the streets, I suppose.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Mark, South-East London
Very well said.
- P Staker, London
Let's face it political correctness is rendering the Police absurd. Is there an agenda here?
- Steve, Brentford
We can all read between the lines even if the PC media do not report the full facts of a gang rape. Just look at the areas it happens. Not rocket science is it !!
- Grim Reaper, Hell
"Some community activists had previously suggested the phrase "gang rape" had racist connotations."
It doesn't, but what people know about gang rape is the perpetrators are more than likely to be non-white. Indeed if the excerpt from the Met Police report I read (from which this story came from) is correct then 92% of the suspected gang rapists in the cases referred to were not white.
- Mark, South-East London
John, London: Look it up in the dictionery. Gang "Group of people working or going about together".
There is no racial connotation whatsoever in this. I am sick to death of this stupid bloody country and its paranoia with political correctness, and not caring a hoot about the victims feelings, just the perpitrators.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Wow John..London, you seem to be more concerned about the good name of these RAPISTS than the victims.
- Sarah, London
Says alot about these so-called "community activists" if they are more concerned about the word gang-rape than the actual act itself.
Sounds to me like they dont care about the victims, more about the poor little darlings who tear their victims lives apart.
Can someone explain to me how the term gang-rape is racist??
If it is that certain groups are more likely to commit this offence how about tackling the matter rather than trying to sweep it under the carpet?
- Russell, London
"Some community activists had previously suggested the phrase "gang rape" had racist connotations".
Where on earth are the "racist connotations"? ...Gang rape is being raped by two or more people and it should be stated as that, if "some" community activists have a problem with this phrase then maybe they know more than the public are aware of.
As for it not being carried out by criminal gangs! who cares as the fact is it's happening.
- Sarah, London
When Christine and Neil Hamilton were falsely accused of joint rape would you have reported it as gang rape or group, The fact is that someone who is called a gang inplies they are part of a group who are unnoficially working together and as its innocent till proven guilty and that if one person does it,it doesn't mean they all are, then to call a number of accused rapists a gang only soils their name.
- John, london
