In the 21st century, a barrister apparently said this about rape

A barrister has provoked fury after apparently saying men accused of the rape should be acquitted if the woman was drunk or on drugs.

In comments appearing in a blog under the name of David Osborne, or "The Barrister Bard", he derided the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Alison Saunders, who said women should no longer be blamed if they are too drunk to consent to sex.

In new rules issued by the DPP an accused man will now have to convince police and prosecutors that the woman consented to sex and had the “full capacity and freedom to do so”.

The blog, titled ‘She was gagging for it’, advocated a system in which accused men would have a “complete defence” to allegations of rape if the woman was “under the influence”. It read:

In my book, consent is consent, blind drunk or otherwise, and regret after the event cannot make it rape as Ms. Saunders and Ms. [Harriet] Harman seem to be advocating. Save us from the Mssss!

I have a very simple solution which I hope you will agree is fair. If the complainant (I do not refer to her as the victim) was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, when she was ‘raped’, this provides the accused with a complete defence. End of story and a victory for fairness, moderation and common sense!

Referring to the DPP being a woman the blog added, “Is it just me, or are women taking over the world?”

The barrister reportedly defended his standpoint in an interview with the Daily Mirror which quoted him as saying: “The protection in law that they have got seems to me to be twofold.

“Number One: Don’t go out in the first place. Or Number Two: If you do go out don’t get rat-arsed. If you get rat arsed, I’m sorry, you are asking for trouble," he said.

“I tell you what would drop the rape statistics would be if girls covered up, dressed appropriately and stopped drinking themselves legless.”

i100.co.uk has contacted Mr Osborne for a response to the story.

More: 14 signs we live in a rape culture