A man from North Yorkshire is now required to give 24 hours notice to officials before engaging in any type of sexual contact with a woman.
Last year, the man was cleared of rape charges after contesting the alleged victim had given consent.
Portland Community College sophomore, Anthony Woody, frowned upon the actions taken by the police, “I think it’s a bit extreme to have to do a 24-hour notice before having sex with someone…they couldn’t come up with something a little bit more different than that, like maybe putting an ankle bracelet on the guy?” Woody added, “Then you would just know where [he’s] at, at all times.”
According to BBC, the reason for this extensive measures is “it requires the man to disclose any planned sexual activity to the police or to face five years in prison.” Every phone or device that is used to access the internet, texting or calling must be reported to the police.
The order reads: “You must disclose the detail of any female including her name, address and date of birth. You must do this at least 24 hours prior to any sexual activity taking place.”
Orders apply when the person tried has not been convicted of a sexual offense, yet police find enough evidence to convince the court that the person must remain under official restrictions to protect the public from him or her.
Imagining the conversation the man has to have with women before engaging in sexual behavior, Woody stated, “Personally I would just hate it! Especially the part of trying to explain the situation to somebody just to have casual sex. Or just sex in general!”
Lisa Chiem, a junior at Portland State University stated, “This situation is handled way differently compared to—how I feel like it would be dealt with here in the U.S.” Chiem added, “Even though I feel like his daily life is going to be restricted, I think it’s way better than five years in prison.”
Two questions come to mind: How can he make this new temporary life work? And what could be gained from it?
Chiem stated, “To be honest I think this whole arrangement could make him more considerate about women. [This could] turn him into a better person instead of boning women for fun.” Chiem continued, “And maybe it will…give him a way to practice consent.”
According to Sarah Green, an acting director at End Violence Against Women, such orders are necessary to keep potential victims safe. Her perspective implies that this man’s sentence is well deserved for the protection of the public.
Typically, “Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and interim SHPOs are intended to protect the public from offenders convicted of a sexual or violent offense who pose a risk of sexual harm to the public by placing restrictions on their behavior.”
The ban will be reassessed on May 19 by York Magisters. North Yorkshire police will be petitioning for a full sexual risk order. Full orders last for two years. If breached, a five year sentence in prison could be determined.
Practicing safe, consensual sex is of the utmost importance for anyone engaging in any sexual activity.
