Politician Says Woman Is "Too Ugly" to Be a Rape Victim
Is this real life?
Consider yourself warned: The following is so reprehensible that your morning coffee will inevitably end up splattered all over your computer screen.
Philip Drury, a shadow cabinet leader of East Hampshire District Council in the UK, had the gall recently to suggest that a woman was too unattractive to be raped. *Bangs head against wall*
Drury made the comment about 21-year-old student Serena Bowles, who claims she was raped during a college trip to Florence and has since been accused by Italian police of making the whole thing up. "Not sure anyone would want to even think about it looking at her lol," he wrote under an image of Bowles in a thread discussing the case on Facebook.
Naturally, his nausea-inducing remark was met with outrage—one user depicted him as a "pitiful excuse for a human being." Yeah, sounds about right.
After the comment was made, Drury was even quoted by Solent News Agency justifying his actions without so much as an apology: "I was excessively tired and was working nights," he said. "I had just come back from an excessive Chinese business trip—I was tired. I will remain on the council."
Fortunately, despite a council investigation deciding that no action should be taken against Drury because he was acting in a private capacity, he's announced that he's standing down.
But don't think for a second it's because he's actually owning up to his misogynist idiocy. He's bowing out "due to work pressure," because he's the real victim in all this, right?
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Sadly, we'll have to file this as yet another instance of a woman's rape claim being disparaged by an old guy in the public eye. Not to mention a reminder that in 2015, we still have a long way to go.
You should also check out:
Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.
-
Give Selena Gomez's 'Emilia Pérez' Coat the Oscar Already
The symbolic costuming choice is also my winter wardrobe inspiration.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
The True Story of Dolours and Marian Price Is Just As Harrowing As It Seems in 'Say Nothing'
The new FX series is set in Ireland during The Troubles.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Why Did Drunk Elephant Recall Three of Its Best-Selling Skincare Products?
Here's how to know if yours were compromised.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
36 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
It's just one of the many ways women still aren't equal to men.
By Brooke Knappenberger Last updated
-
How New York's First Female Governor Plans to Fight for Women If Reelected
Kathy Hochul twice came to power because men resigned amid sexual harassment scandals. Here, how she's leading differently.
By Emily Tisch Sussman Last updated
-
Why the 2022 Midterm Elections Are So Critical
As we blaze through a highly charged midterm election season, Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy highlights rising stars who are fighting for women’s rights.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich Published
-
Tammy Duckworth: 'I’m Mad as Hell' About the Lack of Federal Action on Gun Safety
The Illinois Senator won't let the memory of the Highland Park shooting just fade away.
By Sen. Tammy Duckworth Published
-
Roe Is Gone. We Have to Keep Fighting.
Democracy always offers a path forward even when we feel thrust into the past.
By Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of Pantsuit Politics Podcast Published
-
The Supreme Court's Mississippi Abortion Rights Case: What to Know
The case could threaten Roe v. Wade.
By Megan DiTrolio Published
-
Sex Trafficking Victims Are Being Punished. A New Law Could Change That.
Victims of sexual abuse are quietly criminalized. Sara's Law protects kids that fight back.
By Dr. Devin J. Buckley and Erin Regan Published
-
My Family and I Live in Navajo Nation. We Don't Have Access to Clean Running Water
"They say that the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Why are citizens still living with no access to clean water?"
By Amanda L. As Told To Rachel Epstein Published