Greer is right to say rape law has failings, but wrong to suggest its decriminalisation

[Extract] Germaine Greer is a provocateur of long standing. Her recent comments about rape enhance that reputation.

We accept Greer’s premise: rape law has profound and persistent failings. The #metoo movement has made vivid what rape researchers already know: rape is common.

While reports to Australian police have risen, reporting and conviction rates remain low. Greer claims proving rape is too difficult, and rape without physical injury doesn’t warrant prosecution.

However, her account of the harm of rape is flawed, and her proposed solutions do not engage with the proper role of rape law within the criminal justice system.