Thursday November 17, 2011

By RICHARD OSLEY

TWO university students are in hiding after writing a newspaper article in which they joked about rape and encouraged undergraduates to take part in “donkey punching”, a slang name for surprising women by hitting them in the back of the head during sex.

The “agony uncles” wrote a supposedly sat­irical problem page answering dreamed-up letters about student anxieties when it comes to relationships and sex. Their advice – written by and aimed at some of the most intelligent univer­sity students in the country – included the line: “Remember it’s not rape if you shout surprise.”

It added: “Approaching intercourse with a more feisty (or fisty) attitude will certainly keep your hands full.”

The article was printed in The Beaver, the newspaper for students at the London School of Economics (LSE), one of the oldest and best produced student-run newspapers in the country.

As petitions and protests swept across the student community in Holborn – and the customary Facebook group was set up – the news­paper’s executive editor Nicola Alexander resisted calls to stand down.
The position, although unpaid, is an appealing addition to the CV of any up-and-coming journalist – Justin Webb, of the BBC’s Today programme, once held the post.

Ms Alexander admitted the article was “distasteful at best” and ordered a front-page apology and a series of features about the prevalence of sexual violence towards women. The article has been deleted from the paper’s online edition.
Ms Alexander said the two men who wrote the article would not be immediately named due to fears for their safety on campus but their identities would be revealed in an “improved environment”, possibly to a select group of complainants.

She told London Student’s news editor Hattie Williams: “We will not release the names of the writers while we are concerned for their well­being on campus but we are working with the women’s officer and the Students’ Union to develop a constructive way in which the writers can apologise for their actions and be held to account.”

The pair were warned that joking about rape made victims of abuse less likely to come forward and complain.
Lucy McFadzean, the university’s women’s officer, said: “It is appalling that even now joking about rape is somehow deemed acceptable in our soc­iety.”

In the agony uncles’ piece – titled “Houghton Street Headaches” in a  reference to the street where LSE is based – students were invited to take time out to giggle at the column which advises men on ways of “keeping your girl in check and dealing with less attractive females”. The reference to “donkey punching” was considered particularly offensive by readers who complained.

An open letter written by the LSE Feminist Society said: “The article advocates sexual violence and rape and perpetuates misogynistic attitudes… encouraging punching your sexual partner in the back of the head (“donkey punching”) amongst others, normalises the attitude that physical violence against women is acceptable.”