The one at fault and setting the agenda!

Why not 'Adult male's seduction smokescreen', which would have been much more to the point! It's clear from the article that the adult male knew his victim was under age, had invited her into his house and then broken the law in the way he behaved towards her. It's time we stopped making excuses for selfish, insensitive and irresponsible men.

Do we interrogate mugger's victims for their willingness to flaunt smart handbags and cool mobile phones? Are careless businessmen likewise interrogated for their willingness to leave their lap-top computer exposed on the back seat of their car? Both actions are rampant come-ons to any thief with an eye to the main chance. So what is wrong with society's view of the male/female relationship that we subject young female victims of such selfish male lawbreaking to a repeat re-run of the trauma they have undergone, but this time in the public arena of the adversarial court system?

The guy was 27 years older than the girl and presumably mature enough to take responsibility for his own actions, whatever encouragement he might think he was given. The bottom line should be that, however a relatively immature, vulnerable 15 year old reacts to the sexual advances of a 42 year old adult, who knows she is under age, her response must be totally irrelevant to the adult's guilt or the gravity of his offence. He's the one at fault and setting the agenda!

It's disturbing to know that we are prepared to spend huge amounts of taxpayers money to humiliate this man's young victim in such a way, thus allowing him to feel that his abusive behaviour could have some element of justification. It makes matters worse that you should choose to feed his pathetic justification with that headline!

Such money would be better spent on support to help the young victim come to terms with the way she had been treated and on concerted action by all concerned with the perpetrator, his mates, family, the local community and the media, to convince him that such nasty, self-seeking behaviour reduces him to the pits, personality-wise and will not be tolerated!

We could then have some money to spare and even better, increase the chances of a more satisfactory outcome for both the offender and his young victim.

MIKE PARKER, Main Street, Sedgeberrow.