Britain’s Home Secretary, James Cleverly, was criticized on Sunday for joking about date rape just hours after announcing plans to crack down on what he described as a “deviant” offence.
Bijak, who oversees national security and law enforcement in England and Wales, is facing calls to step down after he reportedly joked at an event at the prime minister’s house about lashing out at his wife.
He told female guests at a reception on December 18 that the secret to a long marriage is to have a partner who is “always lightly drugged so he can’t realize there’s a better man out there,” the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.
Wise said “a little bit of Rohypnol” — the so-called date-rape drug — “in his drink every night” is “not really illegal if it’s just a little bit.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) reacts to a question after making a statement about the Government’s Plan for Illegal Immigration, in London on Dec. 6, 2023. GE/AFP via Getty Images
The drug, known as a roofie when it is crushed and put into someone’s drink without their knowledge, makes subjects drowsy and can cause fainting and memory loss.
Wise apologized through a spokesman for what he called an “ironic joke” after he announced the Conservative government planned to update the law to make it clear that such liquor is illegal. He described the practice as a “deviant” crime.
The comments were made during a drinks reception at 10 Downing Street where political journalists mingled with political aides, ministers and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Wise said “a little bit of Rohypnol” — the so-called date-rape drug — “in his drink every night” is “not really illegal if it’s just a little bit.” GE/AFP via Getty Images
Conversations at such events are normally off the record, but the Sunday Mirror said it decided to report the news because of Cleverly’s position and the subject matter.
“In what was always understood to be a private conversation, James, the home secretary dealing with spiking, made what was clearly intended as an ironic joke – for which he apologised,” his spokesman said.
Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of women’s rights group the Fawcett Society said the remarks were “sickening,” and she called on Cleverly to resign.
“How can we trust him to take violence against women and girls seriously?” Olchawski said in a statement. “It is sickening that the senior minister responsible for women’s safety considers something as terrifying as drugging women to be a laughing matter.”
Senior members of the opposition Labor Party condemned the “appalling” comments. GE/AFP via Getty Images
Pandai, 54, who met his wife in college and has two children, has previously described tackling violence against women and girls as a personal priority.
Senior members of the opposition Labor Party condemned the “appalling” comments.
“It’s unbelievable that the home secretary made a terrible joke on the same day the government announced a new policy on spiking,” said Yvette Cooper, a Labor MP.
“Victims will understandably question if they can trust him to take this heinous crime seriously.”
The government has vowed to make it clear that drinking alcohol is a crime while not making it a specific offence.
Police in England and Wales receive an average of 561 reports of spiking a month, mainly by women reporting incidents in bars and nightclubs, according to a Home Office report.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
