Dame Helen Mirren slammed for date-rape comments

Washington, Sept 2 : English actress Dame Helen Mirren has been slammed for the comments she made that date-rape cases should not go to court.

Mirren's remarks have now come under the criticism of home office minister Tony McNulty, who said the actress' comments were "profoundly disappointing" and "very unhelpful".

"No means no, means no, and that needs to be the message as clearly as we can in terms of rape," Contactmusic quoted him as telling the BBC.

Her suggestions have also been attacked by campaign groups, with Ruth Hall of Women Against Rape claiming that Mirren exacerbated the situation for women who are "already having trouble" in dealing with such incidents.

"When you have gone back to somebody's house for instance, which you have every right to do, when maybe you've had something to drink, you are still entitled not to be raped," she said.

Solicitor general Vera Baird said that being raped "makes women feel guilty and ashamed, whether they have encouraged the man's sexual interest or not".

She rubbished Mirren's suggestion that date-rape cases should be solved between the two parties involved rather than taking it to court.

"All women are entitled to say no. A man who goes on despite that commits rape, a crime that can be seriously damaging and which is not justified by any amount of earlier sexual interest she may have shown in him," she added.

ANI