Judge Rules that ‘A Feeble No May Mean Yes’ in Rape Cases

A judge in India overturned a rape conviction earlier this week, explaining that despite the victim’s verbal and physical resistance, the accused had reason to believe that she consented, according the Guardian.

Bollywood movie director Mahmood Farooqui was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted for the rape of an American graduate student at his home last year. After appealing his conviction, a judge ruled in his favor and overturned it.

Justice Ashutosh Kumar explained that he had to give Farooqui “the benefit of the doubt” because “instances of woman behavior are not unknown that a feeble no may mean a yes”. The victim testified that she had repeatedly refused Farooqui’s advances and physically resisted, but he restrained her when she tried to prevent him from removing her clothes.

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The verdict is raising concerns about what constitutes consent in India. Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy said it “muddies the water and will confuse a lot of the issues around consent”. The Times of India also criticized it, saying that it “set a potentially dangerous precedent that a no does not always necessarily mean no”.

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Construction Starting on High-Speed Rail from Bangkok-Korat

A high-speed train route is set to be built from Bangkok and Korat, with construction starting in November, Coconuts Bangkok reports.

A team of Chinese Engineers are being brought in to work on the project. First, they are required to pass examinations on the legal and ethical codes for foreign engineers in Thailand and environmental safety. After that, they will hand over blueprints to the State Railway of Thailand, and construction will commence

When complete, the route will provide locals and tourists with a fast and convenient way to visit Korat, which is most widely known for its national park, Khao Yai. The area has also become a hit with Thailand real estate developers, who have seen the opportunity to build property there. However, Thailand real estate lawyers warn that there is an increasing amount of illegal title deeds that encroach on public land. This is something to watch out for when browsing land or property in the province.

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Indonesia Could Outlaw Sex Outside Marriage, Australians Warned

A petition to outlaw sex outside of marriage in Indonesia could affect foreign tourists who frequent the country, News.com.au reports.

The petition was filed by a group called Family Love Alliance, and if successful, it would also outlaw same-sex relations, as gay marriage is illegal in the country.

Andreas Harsono, Human Rights Watch Indonesian researcher, said that it would result in further discrimination against the LGBT community. He called it “ill-informed and bigoted” and said that it was “similar to the anti-LGBT rhetoric espoused by Indonesian officials and politicians earlier this year”.

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Members of the LGBT community suffer discrimination throughout Indonesia. This is in part due to the predominantly Muslim population. Harsono said that very conservative Muslims see homosexuality as a mental illness.

“They believe if they accept it in their society, God’s anger will be on them,” he said.

Indonesia is an extremely popular tourist destination for Australians, who flock to Bali in particular. If law is amended, tourists who are caught having sex outside of marriage could face arrest.

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