Two more rape acquittals: Protests today against "incompetent judicial system"

Two men were yesterday acquitted at the West Iceland District Court in two separate rape cases. In one of the cases the girl, aged 14, is mentally handicapped with learning disabilities. A public protest against the judicial system and the manner in which it tackles rape charges has been organised outside the Reykjavik district court today at five. 

Her word against his

In one case, a man was acquitted of raping a 17-year-old girl who charged him with pulling her into an alleyway after a party on a Saturday night and raping her. DNA found on the girl matched the man accused but he denied charges and said that consentual sexual relations had taken place.  The judge's verdict states that the girl had not given any indication to the man that she objected and that no bruises were found on the girl when she reported the rape at the emergency ward on the following Monday. The court ruling also said, "There is no conclusive evidence in the matter and therefore it's a case of her word against his."

Sexual offence reported by the girl's mother

In the second acquittal yesterday at the West Fjords District Court, a man was acquitted for sexual offences against a 14-year-old girl. He admitted to having,"Made the girl masturbate him and having sex with her without paying heed to her young age." The girl's mother reported the matter to the National Child Protection Authority after she discovered a conversation on Facebook chat between them. 

The man and the girl became aquainted via Facebook and the girl asked him to give her a lift around town. He agreed as long as she agreed to have sex with him. According to the Facebook conversation they had sex on two occasions and on the second the man supplied the girl with a morning after pill so that she wouldn't get pregnant. The girl is diagnosed with a mental handicap, attention deficit disorder and a social interaction disorder. 

The man testified at court that he'd only known the girl for half an hour before meeting her and hadn't given consideration to her age, "I thought she was a regular 15-year-old girl."  The man was aquitted and The State was ordered to pay all legal costs.

Protest today outside Reykjavik District Court

A protest has been organised today at 5 pm outside the Reykjavik District Court in the city centre. The Facebook event states,"When can we expect fair verdicts in sexual offence cases? The Icelandic judicial system is incompetent."

"Only six convictions have taken place since January 1st, and out of those, three were foreign and one of them homosexual. The message is: Icelandic heterosexual men can rape women as they please. How can citizens trust such a judicial system in a republic?"

The organisers also urge other towns to organise protests at the same time outside their respective court houses.