Was this sexual assault? What's the appropriate response?

[Metaphor]

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/r...7/news-story/79331a2ca766b2b234717e59f0128bdd

A “very anxious” university student who googled “how to make new friends” is facing jail after he touched a 17-year-old schoolgirl on the arm and waist because he was “lonely”.

Jamie Griffiths, 19, a student at Durham University, came into contact with the girl during two encounters as she walked to and from school.

...The 19-year-old will be sentenced later this month and also faces being ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years jail if dealt with at a crown court.

‘REALLY WEIRD’
The court heard how the encounters took place between October and November last year.
On the first encounter the girl, now 18, told how she was walking home from school when she saw Griffiths staring at a hedge.
She said: “As I walked towards him, I was watching him and he suddenly swung round so he was facing me.
“I remember it happening fast. As soon as he moved I moved and I said ‘stop’, and he touched me on my arm.
“I sort of jolted out of the way, and I went into the road to avoid him and he very quickly walked away.
“I think it would have been on my breast had I not moved. When it first happened I didn’t think much of it, didn’t click in my head, I just thought ‘that was really weird, why did he touch me?’”
‘TRAUMATIC’
The victim told how she encountered Griffiths again on November 7.
She said: “I was quite far up the road when I noticed him. He is someone who lives in my area, someone I have seen before … I thought I recognised him but I didn’t think it was the person from the first incident at the time.
“It was only when he moved to touch me and looked me in the eyes that I realised it was the same person. The pavement was quite wide but he suddenly moved to walk in front of me, looked me straight in the eye and touches me on my side and walked off.
“It was quite a while — three to five seconds. He smirked at me, he didn’t stop, he just touched me and walked off and I broke down crying in the street — it was quite traumatic.
...Griffiths, who had been volunteering at a charity shop, told the court his intention was to “make a friend”.
He said: “I was lonely … I just wanted to speak to someone.”
The university student added: “She was walking towards me and I recognised her. I didn’t say anything but I really wanted to say something — the words just didn’t come out. I touched her but I believed that it was the arm I was touching.”
Griffiths said he struggled to make friends and had “always been a very anxious person”.
He told the court he’d looked up “how to make new friends” online.
He said: “I have always been more stay-at-home with my parents and loneliness is all consuming. I really needed someone to talk to at the time and my intention was to make a friend — but I clearly didn’t go about it the right way and I am sorry for the misunderstanding.
“I tried to speak to her but I just couldn’t. My anxiety kicks in and it makes it impossible to say anything”.
Griffiths’ lawyer, Claire Aldridge, said: “She did say: ‘I think it would have been on my breast had I not moved’, but what she thinks might have happened isn’t the issue.
“Are you dealing with somebody lying in wait in broad daylight, or are you dealing with an anxious and awkward young man, someone who struggles to make friends by his own admission?
“He is a particularly shy, anxious young man who spends most of his time studying with his parents.”
But prosecutor Victoria Norman said: “The complainant was adamant about what she had suffered and was very frank and honest with this court. He intended to touch her breast area and was waiting for her.
“What rational person looks up ‘how to make a friend’? Even if the defendant is advancing he was just seeking to make a friend, he waits in two areas that are isolated on her route home, he touches her.
“An attempt to make a friendship with anyone surely starts with a hello or a wave.”
Convicting Griffiths, the magistrates told him: “The complainant’s evidence was very clear, logical and without embellishment. We can think of no motivation for you to touch the victim other than sexual.
“Had she not taken evasive action the assault was likely to have been even more serious.
“The first assault can be recognised as opportunistic, however there is more evidence of premeditation in the second.”

I don't understand the prosecutor. What's "irrational" about googling 'how to make a friend'? If you don't know how to do something, why should seeking advice on it be 'irrational'? It seems to me what she really means is "only abnormal people don't know how to make friends--this was the actions of someone who was a sexual predator".

Neither of these actions appear to me to be sexual harassment. At worst they seem like common assault (but barely even that).

Is it right that the student was prosecuted for this? That he goes on a sex offences register?

 

[Half-Life]

What we can conclude is that she wasn't attracted to him. If she was attracted to him, she wouldn't have cared. It would've been seen as playful flirting. But since she didn't find him attractive, it's harassment.

If a guy she had a crush on came up to her and did the same thing, do you think she would be complaining?

 

[Patooka]

1) Not sure if Half-life can ever cite a source or make a post without the word "if"

2) I am certain sexual harassment occurs towards men as well. Here is the most publicised example. It involves a bleck guy, so I apologize to snowflakes who are so easily triggered by such stories.

3) To somehow argue that there is an equal fucking footing here is so fucking repugnant I have no desire to have a conversation with such fuckwits. Apparentley women and men suffer the same amount of sexual harassment.

Best of luck.

 

[Half-Life]

1) Not sure if Half-life can ever cite a source or make a post without the word "if"

2) I am certain sexual harassment occurs towards men as well. Here is the most publicised example. It involves a bleck guy, so I apologize to snowflakes who are so easily triggered by such stories.

3) To somehow argue that there is an equal fucking footing here is so fucking repugnant I have no desire to have a conversation with such fuckwits. Apparentley women and men suffer the same amount of sexual harassment.

Best of luck.

I have long said that men can be victims of sexual assault. But, for the most part it's played for laughs.
"Don't drop the soap!" hahahaha

But, I will also tell you that, most likely, Mr. Crews did not find the female assaulter all that attractive either. Had his dream girl done that, he would've loved it.

Does this mean attractive people are incapable of harassment? Of course not. Not everyone finds the same people attractive, but that is why I added the qualifier, "if he/she finds them attractive."

 

[Keith&Co.]

Just imagining Legolas asking himsenlf 'what would Jack Sparrow do?'
And as he's throwing a dead pirate over the rail, Jack raises one eyebrow. 'And this is what you have arrived at?'

I wonder if a googled site told him to assault her in an isolated spot, in which case he is responsible in that 'this is the site you arrived at.'

Or if he just completely misread a more socially helpful site. Then he is responsible in 'this is the interpretation you arrived at.'

Either way, he needs a social worker.

 

[laughing dog]

To return to the actual topic of the thread, thete is nothing irrational about wanting to make a friend. Assuming MR Griffiths is telling the truth, the problem is the repeated nature iof his awkward method. Assuming he is telling the truth, the charge seems like overkill and the conviction a travesty of justice.

 

[starwater]

The quote posted by OP is a snippet. I am sure there is much more to the story. But again anything to super scrutinize females to call criticism to.....

 

[Rhea]

Assuming he is telling the truth, the charge seems like overkill and the conviction a travesty of justice.

I agree with LD and Metaphor on the information given so far.

YES she encountered something that could feel exactly as traumatizing as an assault. Being shown that you are at risk in an area that you thought was safe is extremely unbalancing. Yes, he did something that assaulters do.

and YES, once they interviewed him, it appears that he has some mental health issues that clearly indicate he is not a predator. And since he is clearly not (per the information given so far) the charge is overkill and the conviction a travesty.

In my opinion, the sexual assault laws and registries are to protect us from predators. Those who by cultural assumptions or malice are likely to cause harm. personally, I do not approve of sex offender registries. If a person is rehabilitated, he should be free to continue life. If he is not, he should not be free. But in either case, this man does not fit that bill, IMHO.

 

[Rhea]

I have long said that men can be victims of sexual assault. But, for the most part it's played for laughs.
"Don't drop the soap!" hahahaha

But, I will also tell you that, most likely, Mr. Crews did not find the female assaulter all that attractive either. Had his dream girl done that, he would've loved it.

Does this mean attractive people are incapable of harassment? Of course not. Not everyone finds the same people attractive, but that is why I added the qualifier, "if he/she finds them attractive."

Half-life, your tired old quotes from incel sites are off-topic and not welcome, as well as being foundationally wrong. Start your own thread about how pretty women only seek bad guys that they find attractive, leaving "not enough women to go around". You'll see from the traffic how little people find that a compelling conversation. It's annoying to have to wade through untrue generalizations about women's inner thoughts all the time from you. You're wrong about them.

 

[Half-Life]

I have long said that men can be victims of sexual assault. But, for the most part it's played for laughs.
"Don't drop the soap!" hahahaha

But, I will also tell you that, most likely, Mr. Crews did not find the female assaulter all that attractive either. Had his dream girl done that, he would've loved it.

Does this mean attractive people are incapable of harassment? Of course not. Not everyone finds the same people attractive, but that is why I added the qualifier, "if he/she finds them attractive."

Half-life, your tired old quotes from incel sites are off-topic and not welcome, as well as being foundationally wrong. Start your own thread about how pretty women only seek bad guys that they find attractive, leaving "not enough women to go around". You'll see from the traffic how little people find that a compelling conversation. It's annoying to have to wade through untrue generalizations about women's inner thoughts all the time from you. You're wrong about them.

I said the same thing about Crews and the woman. No sexism here.

 

[Patooka]

1) Not sure if Half-life can ever cite a source or make a post without the word "if"

2) I am certain sexual harassment occurs towards men as well. Here is the most publicised example. It involves a bleck guy, so I apologize to snowflakes who are so easily triggered by such stories.

3) To somehow argue that there is an equal fucking footing here is so fucking repugnant I have no desire to have a conversation with such fuckwits. Apparentley women and men suffer the same amount of sexual harassment.

Best of luck.

I have long said that men can be victims of sexual assault. But, for the most part it's played for laughs.
"Don't drop the soap!" hahahaha

But, I will also tell you that, most likely, Mr. Crews did not find the female assaulter all that attractive either. Had his dream girl done that, he would've loved it.

Does this mean attractive people are incapable of harassment? Of course not. Not everyone finds the same people attractive, but that is why I added the qualifier, "if he/she finds them attractive."

Okay benji.

 

[Half-Life]

1) Not sure if Half-life can ever cite a source or make a post without the word "if"

2) I am certain sexual harassment occurs towards men as well. Here is the most publicised example. It involves a bleck guy, so I apologize to snowflakes who are so easily triggered by such stories.

3) To somehow argue that there is an equal fucking footing here is so fucking repugnant I have no desire to have a conversation with such fuckwits. Apparentley women and men suffer the same amount of sexual harassment.

Best of luck.

I have long said that men can be victims of sexual assault. But, for the most part it's played for laughs.
"Don't drop the soap!" hahahaha

But, I will also tell you that, most likely, Mr. Crews did not find the female assaulter all that attractive either. Had his dream girl done that, he would've loved it.

Does this mean attractive people are incapable of harassment? Of course not. Not everyone finds the same people attractive, but that is why I added the qualifier, "if he/she finds them attractive."

Okay benji.

You can do the test yourself. A lot of women think Brad Pitt and George clooney are the standards for male handsomeness. Some will disagree but for the ones who agree with this, how many of them would scream if Pitt or Clooney did this same thing to them and came by and touched their waist? A lot of them probably wouldn't be able to contain themselves!

 

[Toni]

Okay benji.

You can do the test yourself. A lot of women think Brad Pitt and George clooney are the standards for male handsomeness. Some will disagree but for the ones who agree with this, how many of them would scream if Pitt or Clooney did this same thing to them and came by and touched their waist? A lot of them probably wouldn't be able to contain themselves!

A lot of men would be thrilled if Margo Robie or Jennifer Lawrence touched them on the waist (or anywhere) but not all would. Some would find it creepy and inappropriate and some would find it frightening and/or repulsive, depending on the circumstances.

Even more, probably most, would find it creepy, inappropriate and frightening and/or repulsive if I did it.

What a lot of incels do not realize is that some very handsome men can also sexually assault women or rape them. Rape is not an action of last resort for men who feel they are too unattractive to get women or a woman. It's an act of aggression and violence to gain sexual contact which the man feels entitled to. This applies equally to women who assault other people.

 

[Half-Life]

Okay benji.

You can do the test yourself. A lot of women think Brad Pitt and George clooney are the standards for male handsomeness. Some will disagree but for the ones who agree with this, how many of them would scream if Pitt or Clooney did this same thing to them and came by and touched their waist? A lot of them probably wouldn't be able to contain themselves!

A lot of men would be thrilled if Margo Robie or Jennifer Lawrence touched them on the waist (or anywhere) but not all would. Some would find it creepy and inappropriate and some would find it frightening and/or repulsive, depending on the circumstances.

Even more, probably most, would find it creepy, inappropriate and frightening and/or repulsive if I did it.

What a lot of incels do not realize is that some very handsome men can also sexually assault women or rape them. Rape is not an action of last resort for men who feel they are too unattractive to get women or a woman. It's an act of aggression and violence to gain sexual contact which the man feels entitled to. This applies equally to women who assault other people.

That's why I said, "if you find them attractive!" This is the most important thing!

 

[laughing dog]

A lot of men would be thrilled if Margo Robie or Jennifer Lawrence touched them on the waist (or anywhere) but not all would. Some would find it creepy and inappropriate and some would find it frightening and/or repulsive, depending on the circumstances.

Even more, probably most, would find it creepy, inappropriate and frightening and/or repulsive if I did it.

What a lot of incels do not realize is that some very handsome men can also sexually assault women or rape them. Rape is not an action of last resort for men who feel they are too unattractive to get women or a woman. It's an act of aggression and violence to gain sexual contact which the man feels entitled to. This applies equally to women who assault other people.

That's why I said, "if you find them attractive!" This is the most important thing!

Not for everyone. I would find it creepy if either Ms Lopez or Ms Robbie touched me without my permission, and they are both attractive,

 

[TSwizzle]

Not sexual assault but it’s a red flag for something. He needs watching for sure.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I said the same thing about Crews and the woman. No sexism here.

just the tired incel stereoytypes about how women decide if it's rape or flirting....

 

[ZiprHead]

A lot of men would be thrilled if Margo Robie or Jennifer Lawrence touched them on the waist (or anywhere) but not all would. Some would find it creepy and inappropriate and some would find it frightening and/or repulsive, depending on the circumstances.

Even more, probably most, would find it creepy, inappropriate and frightening and/or repulsive if I did it.

What a lot of incels do not realize is that some very handsome men can also sexually assault women or rape them. Rape is not an action of last resort for men who feel they are too unattractive to get women or a woman. It's an act of aggression and violence to gain sexual contact which the man feels entitled to. This applies equally to women who assault other people.

That's why I said, "if you find them attractive!" This is the most important thing!

Not for everyone. I would find it creepy if either Ms Lopez or Ms Robbie touched me without my permission, and they are both attractive,

Wasn't Katy Perry in hot water recently for inappropriate touching of men?

 

[Toni]

A lot of men would be thrilled if Margo Robie or Jennifer Lawrence touched them on the waist (or anywhere) but not all would. Some would find it creepy and inappropriate and some would find it frightening and/or repulsive, depending on the circumstances.

Even more, probably most, would find it creepy, inappropriate and frightening and/or repulsive if I did it.

What a lot of incels do not realize is that some very handsome men can also sexually assault women or rape them. Rape is not an action of last resort for men who feel they are too unattractive to get women or a woman. It's an act of aggression and violence to gain sexual contact which the man feels entitled to. This applies equally to women who assault other people.

That's why I said, "if you find them attractive!" This is the most important thing!

Nope.Very physically attractive guys can be rapist., Their victims may even have found them physically attractive. One can be attracted to someone yet decide for any number of reasons or no reason at all that you are not interested in any kind of physical or sexual contact with them. When the other person forces or attempts to force sexual contact or rape, that's attemped assault or attempted rape or actually rape or assault, depending on how successful the attacker was. Good looks and being captain of any team or rich or charming do not make it less sexual assault or rape.

 

[Patooka]

A lot of men would be thrilled if Margo Robie or Jennifer Lawrence touched them on the waist (or anywhere) but not all would. Some would find it creepy and inappropriate and some would find it frightening and/or repulsive, depending on the circumstances.

Even more, probably most, would find it creepy, inappropriate and frightening and/or repulsive if I did it.

What a lot of incels do not realize is that some very handsome men can also sexually assault women or rape them. Rape is not an action of last resort for men who feel they are too unattractive to get women or a woman. It's an act of aggression and violence to gain sexual contact which the man feels entitled to. This applies equally to women who assault other people.

That's why I said, "if you find them attractive!" This is the most important thing!

You also said "a lot"
You also were too scared/cowardly/intellectually dishonest....basically to fucking gutless to back up any of your assertions with facts.


Yet again.