Naomi - //andy-hughes, idealism is wonderful - but wholly unrealistic. I don't believe these girls were so naïve as to assume an invitation to this man's room was proffered out of innocent friendship - and I don't believe the man's excuse either. //
It has nothing to do with 'idealism', or what the two young ladies may or may not have anticipated on arrival at the hotel room.
This is to do with society's attitudes to sexual assault.
The current cultural attitude that a woman going to a man's room should 'expect sex to take place' is unacceptable.
If the woman goes willingly, and concensual sex takes place, then there is no problem.
If however, the woman changes her mind, and she is assaulted or raped, and society's view is that she 'knew what she was going for ...', then society agrees that the woman got what she deserved, and the man has carte blanche to override her objections and take the sexual activity to which he is seen as entitled, simply by her being there in the room.
I cannot believe that anyone in a civilised society believes that this is a correct viewpoint for society to take, and the notion that my view is naïve or fanciful simply allows this attitude to perpetuate.
As I have stated previously - I think a woman has a right to deny sex at any time she wishes, and the notion that she has put herself in the way of violent sexual assault simply because she enters a room with a man late at night denigrates both men as a gender, and a woman's right to decide what happens to her.
As long as people simply raise their eyebrows and shrug at the 'naivety' of my viewpoint, then women will continue to be raped in hotel rooms because society has decided that they 'deserved' it.
If thinking that no woman deserves to be raped, whatever the time and place is 'naïve' - then I am delighted to be so.