Angry reaction to BBC show that asks viewers ‘is this rape?’

THE BBC has defended a programme in which viewers will be asked to vote on whether they think a woman was raped.

Is this Rape? Sex on Trial, which will be broadcast on BBC3 next week, features a sexual encounter between a fictional couple.

Once the programme is over, viewers will be asked to vote whether they thought the woman in the scene consented to sex or was raped.

Aimed at BBC3’s teen and twentysomething audience, the drama is intended to explore issues around consent in sex.

But some groups accuse the broadcaster of risking upsetting victims by trivialising the issue with the vote.

Katie Russell of the group Rape Crisis said: “Consent is clearly a vitally important issue to raise public awareness of, and a number of studies have highlighted the confusion, particularly among young people, around what it means and therefore what constitutes rape and sexual assault.

“If this is not responsibly handled, particularly with the public vote element, it has the potential to upset rape survivors, and make them less likely to seek support.”

The programme also features a frank discussion between members of a stu- dio audience, some of whom have strong and controversial views.

Following a series of controversial cases, prosecutors and police have tried to clarify the law around consent, particularly if an alleged victim is drunk.

Earlier this year, Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, issued guidelines stating that men would need to demonstrate that a woman had consented.

Mrs Saunders said victims should no longer be “blamed” by society if they were too drunk to consent to sex, or if they froze and said nothing because they were terrified.

Vivienne Pattison, of Mediawatch, praised the BBC for tackling the subject head-on.

“There is a worrying grasp of the concept of consent among the rising generation, and I would point the finger firmly at easy access to online pornography, which we know is widely used by teenagers,” she said.

“I think the BBC are to be applauded for attempting to shine a light into these dark places.”

A BBC spokesman said the public vote would be used to gauge the public’s understanding of consent before a barrister explains the legal position.

“Sexual assault is a very real issue for young people, and while we treat the subject with sensitivity, we will not gloss over the issues it raises,” said the spokesman.