ANTI-RAPE campaigners have condemned George Galloway for comments suggesting that allegations of rape levelled at WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange amounted to nothing more than “bad sex ettiquette”.
• George Galloway criticised for suggesting rape allegations made against Julian Assange amount to “bad sexual ettiquette”
• Comments condemned by anti-rape campaigners as “factually incorrect”
Mr Assange is facing extradition from the UK to Sweden over allegations that he sexually assaulted two women.
Mr Galloway added that Mr Assange had been “set up”, and that the women’s were “totally unproven”.
Mr Galloway suggested that one of the women had invited Mr Assange - who is currently taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London - to a flat, had consensual sex and then “woke up to him having sex with her again - something which can happen, you know.”
The Bradford West MP added: “Some people believe that when you go to bed with somebody, take off your clothes, and have sex with them and then fall asleep, you’re already in the sex game with them.
“It might be really bad manners not to have tapped her on the shoulder and said ‘do you mind if I do it again?’ It might be bad sexual ettiquette, but whatever else it is, it is not rape.”
Rape charity Crisis called the comments “factually incorrect” and argued that if the woman concerned was asleep when the encounter began, then she would have been unable to give consent.
The charity added that the Respect MP’s comments were “offensive” and “deeply concerning”.
Mr Galloway’s comments, {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B4I5F05jNg&feature=player_detailpage#t=167s|made during a 30-minute podcast|link to video}, also drew criticism from Twitter users, including former First Minister Jack McConnell.
“George Galloway has lost the plot. The only people who should judge this Assange allegation are courts in Sweden.”