Fellatio and section 5

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Friday June 02, 2006 14:38

by chris murray - the unmanageables

Mc Dowell opens a vein and plants a bomb .

Debate on Criminal Law(sexual offences ) Bill 2006.

Democracy -Lite. Three opposition parties welcomed Mc Dowell's Bill, with reservations. Enda didn't broach the subject of resignation, but told Michael that "he Knew what he should do".....
Section 5 is an absurdity, according to Labour as it is not gender neutral and is open to constituional challenge by young men, not to mention the ever increasing discussion on sexual positions that peppered the chamber, that led to the departure of the rather more faint-hearted TDs, including most of the Front Bench.

Harney was first to leave. Woods, last to arrive, he'd been sitting ten minutes when he took the Ceann Comhairle's chair.
The farce deepened from here on in, with Woods of the Church State indemnity debacle chairing a debate wherein Mc Dowell was slapped and clapped but ultimately acceeded to. However the ten deputies who had called for his resignation were to speak next, to an almost empty house. The deputies will return to vote , as they do.
Back to the fellatio and section 5. It is not unlawful for a young girl to have full penetrative sex, under section 5. But it is unlawful for her to engage in sexual acts, such as fellatio
(with someone of the same age range). Other things discussed were how the two consenting kids can easily break the law if things get out of hand. Howlin stated that a boy can get 5 years in the Joy for unlawful sex with a minor. The green Party support the act with amendments but want a "Romeo and Juliet clause" and a "sunset clause". They will allow the legislation to pass , with amendments. Sweet!

a Sunset Clause means a revisit of the statute in two years.

Labour quite rightly pointed out that there is no distinction made between paedophilia and victim, as opposed to kids messing around. Mc Dowell therefore attempts to define the morality of a generation, along with his penchant for data retention , press council and other interfering measures, this has to take the biscuit.Labour also claims that a section of the
Incest act 1908, involving Gross indecency will be repealed
but this was refuted by Mr Mc Dowell.

Section 5 Criminalises boys not girls and is open to constitutional challenge as well as European challenge.
Green , labour and Fine Gael have decided not to obstruct it's passage thru the Oireachtas, once amendments are made.
The Ombudsman for children( in a Letter asked for the
dropping of section 5)
*Criminalising girls for sex acts other than penetrative sex.
*Criminalising young men in under-age consensual sex.

Mc Dowell rides out of the Dail on the back of his largely unopposed legislation. (YeeHaw).
Next week, maybe the issue of no confidence.......

A large crowd of barricaded women carryibg white flowers were converging on the Dail at 12.30pm.