THE comments made by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke which seemed to categorise some rapes as worse than others have been branded irresponsible and stereotypical.

Chief officer of the Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (WRSASC) Jocelyn Anderson said Mr Clarke’s comments, which appeared to draw a distinction between date rape and a “serious rape, with violence and an unwilling woman” were appalling.

Ms Anderson said: “I think that for someone in his position as Minister of Justice to not understand that rape is rape is beyond belief.

“To say there are different types of rape is appalling.

"The definition of rape is consent, rape is rape. To put it into categories is irresponsible, ill-informed and stereotypical.”

Mr Clarke made the comments on BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday as he sought to defend Government proposals to offer a 50 per cent reduction in sentences in return for early guilty pleas for offences including rape.

Defending his comments yesterday, Mr Clarke said: “I’ve always said that all rape is serious and I’ve no intention of changing the sentencing guidelines on rape, which always attracts serious imprisonment, quite rightly.

“Different rapes get different lengths of sentences from judges and always have, and they now follow sentencing guidelines which explain the different degrees of sentences.”

Ms Anderson said that anything that improves the criminal justice system will be welcomed “but not something that downgrades and trivialises the crime that has happened”.

She said: “You can have women waiting 18 months to two years to go to court.

“The pressure that puts women under – your life is just on hold. Sentences should reflect the damage they do.

“That’s why so many people drop out of the criminal justice system.

“The vast majority of women will never report a rape and his comments reinforce their need to keep quiet.

“His comments are one of the reasons women never come forward in the first place.”

An spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said the Government’s policy on sentencing reform would be announced shortly.

He said ministers were still listening to people’s views before reaching final conclusions on exactly which offences should be eligible for 50 per cent sentence discounts.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to sack Mr Clarke.