Should A Court Decide Where Our Boundaries Are?
After we ran the about what differentiates a master from a sex trafficker, last Friday, we received a tip about a case unfolding in Malmö, Sweden, also involving BDSM (which stands for “bondage, discipline and sadomasochism”).
According to The Local, a 32-year-old man charged with assault after engaging in consensual violent sex with a 16-year-old. This isn’t an issue of legal consent as the age of sexual consent in Sweden is 15. What the court is trying to decide is how much violence should be allowed between consenting parties.
This is a landmark case for Sweden as the issue has never been breached by the Swedish court system.
“What I want to establish is that even if they say they are in agreement over this then you not allowed to seriously assault someone,†prosecutor Ulrika Rogland has said.
While the prosecutor’s concerns regarding the 16-year-old’s ability to consent given her history of self-injury are valid, we’re concerned that this case may negatively impact the freedom of adults. How far should the legal system go to protect people? Should they be allowed to tell consenting adults how far is too far as it regards our sexual activities?
