The Daily Mail recently ran a huge feature on Peter Backon, a young man acquitted of rape. Roughly 95% of men accused are acquitted of rape so why is this one is special? Because he’s young, white and articulate enough to spin a woeful story about how a horrid, predatory old woman (19 years his senior!) woman had the temerity to accuse him of rape.

Before I go landing myself or Agendered in hot water, let me make it very clear I am not saying that Bacon is a rapist, or that he ‘got away with it’ or whatever. What I am saying is it sticks in my craw that when, according to Home Office research, up to 85,000 women are raped in the UK each year the Daily Mail comes out and says men are the REAL victims.

There is not a single word of compassion (nor a shred of journalistic balance) in the feature to remind readers that perhaps the woman involved in the case experienced the event described as a “romantic encounter” as a violation. Nor is there a single mention of the mere 6% conviction rate for rape in the UK. From start to finish the feature is designed to create one impression: that rape is conjured out of the air by old/mad/drunk/single harpies who want to destroy men’s lives. This dangerous myth does nothing to protect men from the infinitisimally small number of women who would contemplate making such an accusation. It only serves to silence rape victims and prevent them from seeking justice.