Charlotte Proudman’s argument about ‘himpathy’ – the disproportionate sympathy shown to male perpetrators of sexual violence over female victims – has triggered a strong wave of reaction from Independent readers following a controversial rape sentencing case.
In her piece, Proudman argues that the justice system too often places the futures, vulnerabilities and potential for rehabilitation of boys at the centre of sentencing decisions, while the lifelong harm experienced by girls is pushed to the margins as secondary or inevitable collateral damage.
