Since New Year's eve, there have been a series of sexual assaults in central areas of Oslo, and this is getting much-deserved attention. The March 8th events included a "Take Back the Night" element, and much is being written and discussed among politicians, health professionals, etc.
It would appear that most of these assaults are perpetrated by immigrant youth. For obvious and good reasons, opinion leaders are careful not to make too much out of that fact, but you can be certain public opinion is very mindful of it.
Much has been written about the prevalence of misogyny in some of the societies that have exported people to Norway, and it's by no means an exhausted issue. But I think it's safe to assume that rapists know full well that what they're doing illegal. And it's also safe to assume that none of the perps in these cases care whether their assaults are right, wrong, legal, or illegal. All they care about is whether they're likely to get caught, and if they are, how they will be punished. This what psychopaths are like, no matter what country they come from.
All this is to say: there is no excuse for rape, and we can only hope that Norwegian authorities turn a blind ear to any special pleading about the difficulties of being an immigrant in Norway (or any other lame excuse). Maybe that should be a factor when it comes to loitering, or public drunkenness, or shoplifting, but there's so much mala in se in violent crimes that cultural differences should hold absolutely no sway with the judicial authorities.
There is talk of sensitivity training, and courses on how to draw and respect boundaries, and blah blah blah. Sure, interesting stuff, but not relevant to the topic of rape.
What I don't want to hear is any more discussions of how Norwegian women contribute to this trend, what with their independent ways, liberal attitudes toward sex, and the way they dress. It isn't relevant.
Investigate the crime, collect the evidence, find the perps, put them on trial, convict them based on the facts, and throw the book at them with the sentencing. Set up a penal colony in the hinterlands of Troms where they get to work hard, wear prison uniforms, get bored, and watch selected movies that may eventually enlighten them. Not for 2-3 years. Rape should be punished by a minimum of 10 years without parole or furlough.
: What I don't want to hear is any more discussions of how Norwegian women contribute to this trend, what with their independent ways, liberal attitudes toward sex, and the way they dress. It isn't relevant.
Wasn't there a (female) Norwegian judge who ruled the raped girls had to accept some of the blame, due to their clothing?
Posted by: Rune | March 21, 2007 at 05:42 AM