The legal challenges around sex, fantasy and language

Partner Henrietta Ronson is quoted in Metro.co.uk on the controversial subject of rape fantasies, which are increasingly being rebranded as ‘ravishment’ fantasies.

The article highlights how this linguistic shift risks downplaying the severity of rape, blurring legal and ethical boundaries, and obscuring the importance of clear, informed consent.

Henrietta says that the key difference between fantasy and the reality of a non-consensual act of rape or ravishment is the fantasy itself and the parameters communicated between the parties.

If parties rely on “vague or historically loaded terminology” such as “ravish”, “take” or “conquer” to demonstrate their intentions in respect of sexual activity, she explains, it “makes it harder for the police/prosecution or courts to determine precisely what was agreed and whether consent was given, withdrawn or whether there was reasonable belief that person was consenting”.

While risky sexual fantasies aren’t new, Henrietta says, this trend could dilute communication between the people engaging in sexual activity: “It increases the risk of misunderstandings, and exposes people both to the risk of their withdrawal of consent not being respected and to allegations of sexual offences where a suspect believed their actions to be within the permitted boundaries of a previously articulated fantasy scenario,” she concludes.

The full article was published in Metro.co.uk on 11th December.