Sexual abuse is never the child’s fault

http://www.salon.com/2015/10/06/how_not_to_report_on_child_sexual_abuse_an_11_year_old_boy_does_not_have_sex_with_his_adult_babysitter/

The story goes on to detail what prosecutor Hannah Squire told the court happened between the now 21 year-old Jade Hatt and the child last November. It’s incredibly upsetting and disturbing stuff. Squire said that Hatt “sat on top of him, sat astride him, took off her clothes and removed his. In his words she started bouncing on his private parts. Sexual intercourse took place. According to him it was fairly brief: about 45 seconds. She told him she enjoyed it, he said he had not as it was wrong.” This is what is called rape. Sexual assault. Child molestation.

The child’s father — who had previously had a sexual relationship with Hatt — did not see it that way, telling the court the boy “is sex mad. He would have been fully up for this experience and in many ways sees it as a notch on his belt and is totally unaffected by it.” Similarly, the defending attorney argued that “his client was a small, immature, woman and the victim was very advanced for his years.” Judge Tim Mousley concurred, saying, “It was quite clear he was a mature 11-year-old and you were an immature 20-year-old so that narrows the arithmetic age gap between you.”

For admitting to raping a child, Hatt received six-month jail term suspended for two years with supervision. And if you’re in the job of handing out justice and use the phrase “mature 11 year-old” in a sexual abuse case, I really do hope there is a hell.