Without going into the debate about the morality of lawyers, which I would be very happy to discuss another time, here is something simple the legislator can do to help protect women.
Lawyers defending an individual accused of sexual violence or rape should not be allowed to ask the alleged victim/s questions about what they were wearing or their promiscuity. These questions are only made to discredit and shame the victim and are totally unnecessary for the case. These matters should neither qualify as factors to the case that had any bearing whatsoever on the perpetrator’s actions. the Maltese judiciary who is inevitably of an older generation than I am may also still be afflicted with misogynistic ideas of the past, such as for example, the idea that a promiscuous woman is putting herself at increased risk of being abused.
I can’t imagine what the victim in this story is going through. I hope the police are fully supporting her to make an effective case in her favour.
What an asshole. She coukd have been naked…it still doesn’t give anybody any reason to molest her!!
Same questions that would have been asked over a hundred years ago. “Where you wearing an ghonella over your victorian outfit? No! Ohhhh shocking. Absolute disgrace!”