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Episode details

Radio 5 Live,28 Nov 2019,27 mins,

Has violence during consensual sex become 'normalised'?

Live Wires
Contains scenes of a sexual nature and scenes of sexual violence.

Available for over a year

More than a third of UK women under the age of 40 have experienced unwanted slapping, choking, gagging or spitting during consensual sex, research from 5 Live Investigates has found. Research company Savanta ComRes asked 2,002 women aged between 18 and 39 how often they experienced acts like this and if they were always wanted or welcome. 38% had experienced these acts and said they were unwanted at least some of the time, while just under two-thirds of women had either experienced it and said it was never unwanted (31%), or they had no experience, didn't know or preferred not to say (31%). The issue has come to the fore particularly after a man who was found guilty of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand, used the defence in court of ‘rough sex gone wrong’. To find out more, 5 Live's Emma Barnett speaks to campaigners, experts and people who have experienced such behaviour. Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of a violent and sexual nature.

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