[Cockermouth, England; November 24. Image via Getty]

A woman clears damaged stock from a bridal shop in Cockermouth, north-west England, on November 24, 2009. David Cameron visited Tuesday the town of Cockermouth in Cumbria and witnessed the devastation caused by 'a flood of biblical proportions'. Following a tour around the Fire and Rescue headquarters in the town the Conservative Party leader pledged that if he won the next general election, he would fully support the flood-hit community. AFP PHOTO/Paul Ellis (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The describes a case last year in which a 24-year-old man who was convicted of raping a 10-year-old was given only 2 years in jail because the child was "dressed provocatively." There are some British officials who are trying to stem the tide of injustice. Tory leader David Cameron called for tougher sentences for rapists and according to the BBC, Cameron said, "Studies have shown that as many as one in two young men believe there are some circumstances when it's okay to force a woman to have sex. To my mind, this is an example of moral collapse." Solicitor General Vera Baird tells the WaPo that "There will never be proper female equality and appropriate dignity afforded to one-half of the population if it's possible to rape somebody and get away with it."

But then there are jerks like MP John Redwood, who think date rape should be tried differently than stranger rape because date rape isn't really a big deal. A quarter to a third of Britons apparently agree with Redwood: according to the WaPo, they think the victim is responsible for her rape if she is drunk or wearing "sexy" clothes.

It's not as if the United States is ideal, as 13% of rapes are convicted here, but Britain's conviction record is currently a national embarrassment. There have been a few positive developments in recent months: prosecutors are now allowed to interview victims prior to the case (previously, they didn't meet until the day of the trial). But these improvements are piddling when they're taking place within a larger culture that, however quietly, condones this kind of violence against women.

In Britain, Rape Cases Seldom Result In A Conviction [Washington Post]
Cameron Urges Tougher Rape Laws [BBC]

Earlier: British Politician Says Date Rape Is No Big Whoop
In British Date Rape "Adverts", Rapist & Victim Look The Same

He goes on to accuse the Labour party of "criminalis[ing] the hard working and the law abiding." These comments come just a month after Cameron spoke out against rape, calling for tougher sentences on sexual predators.

On November 12th, Cameron told the Conservative Women's Organization that he would increase funding to rape crisis centers and said that too many men commit rape because they "think they can get away with it." The Home Office Minister in charge of sexual crimes policy, Vernon Coaker, told the Guardian that if Cameron was really serious about his comments from last month, he should immediately apologize for his friend Redwood's remarks and call on him to issue a retraction."

In the same blog post in which he discusses the "doctrine of equivalence" perpetuated by the Labour Party, Redwood also decries the increasing criminalization of speeding and increased regulations on business. By minimizing the crimes of speeding and date rape in the same breath, Redwood seems to be even further dismissing the seriousness of acquaintance rape. Coaker says it best in the Telegraph: "[A]lmost 90 per cent of rapes are committed by men who know their victims, so this type of rape is the biggest problem we have to deal with - not something to be dismissed as a lesser crime."

A Better Class of Criminal? [John Redwood's Diary]
Redwood's Date Rape Comments Infuriate Campaigners [Guardian]
John Redwood: Treat Date Rape Differently [Telegraph]

Earlier: In British Date Rape "Adverts", Rapist & Victim Look The Same

• Is Kate Moss sending a bad message to Britain's schoolgirls? Some teachers think that England's failure to prosecute Kate for her documented cocaine use in 2005 undermined the country's anti-drug efforts. "Teenagers need to see people who have broken the law suffer the consequences,' said Pat Langham, president of the Girls' Schools Association. [Daily Mail]
  
• Don't hate inveterate cads like P. Diddy for having a wandering eye. According to new research from Florida State University, ogling is inevitable  to a degree. [MSNBC]
  
• Wondering whether to have kids? Do the math. Two researchers from Duke's business school created a mathematical model that helps women determine the best age to have children. It takes into consideration, career, social and family objectives. [MSNBC]
  
• According to a new book called Mommies Who Drink, the secret to sane motherhood is frequent cocktails. My mom could have told you that 25 years ago. [Independent]

• New statistics show that women are "breaking the stained glass ceiling" and starting to take more jobs as church leaders. Currently no denomination has more than a 25% female clergy. [CBS News]
• Good news for UK readers: Tory leader David Cameron has vowed to increase the rape conviction rate in England, which is currently the lowest in Europe. Cameron also pledged to get more funding for rape crisis centers. [Daily Mail]
• Amnesty International helped lead a protest outside the Japanese embassy in London over the women forced into sex slavery by the Japanese military in the 30s and 40s. These former so-called "comfort women" are asking for apologies and reparations from the Japanese government. [Breitbart]