This petition is grounded in a heartbreaking tale close to my heart. My cousin fell victim to a horrendous crime committed not by a stranger, but by someone who should have shown him love and protection - his stepmother. The crime was just as condemnable as any other form of sexual assault; however, she could walk away unpunished, shedding light on an unsettling discrepancy within the UK justice system. 

The authorities and society at large have been slow to acknowledge that women, ALSO, CAN&DO commit sexual offences, and especially against boys and young men. This needs to change. According to the Office for National Statistics, one in every 20 males in England and Wales has experienced sexual assault, with women identified as sexual offenders in more cases than before (ONS, 2020). Yet, the societal belief that women cannot be perpetrators or rape boys/men and men/boys cannot be victims continues to prevail, leading to inadequate penalisation of female sexual offenders.

To protect all victims and ensure justice, we need to campaign for a legislation review in the UK, with sex crime laws amended to reflect an equal and gender-neutral approach towards all offenders. We want to see equal penalties for females convicted of sexual assault, reflecting the severity of their crimes and the lifelong trauma inflicted upon their victims.

RAPE IS RAPE

We call on the Parliament, the Home Office, and the Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom to reassess how cases of female sexual offending are tried and sentenced, ensuring justice for victims like my cousin. Please sign this petition to demand equal treatment of all sexual offenders, regardless of their gender.