Clarity on rape consent as appeal dismissed

A seven-judge Supreme Court has dismissed a man’s appeal against his conviction for raping his mother on Mother’s Day.

The judgment provides guidance for judges in explaining to juries the law on rape, including in relation to defences based on an alleged belief by an accused that a woman consented to sex. An alleged belief a woman “might” be consenting to sex is not a defence, the court stressed.

The man had claimed he genuinely believed his mother, aged in her 60s and with mobility problems, had consented to sex. She was adamant she had not. He was convicted by a jury in 2012 and jailed for 12.5 years.