Home Office warns men about getting consent before sex

LONDON - Young men risk being accused of rape unless they are certain they have the consent of their sexual partners, a government advertising campaign will warn next week.

The campaign, created by Rainey Kelly Campbell Rolfe/Y&R, is designed to cut the number of assaults taking place when a woman is drunk by educating young men about the need to gain consent before having sex.

This comes amid concern about the low conviction rates for rape cases in England and Wales.

Home Office figures show that only one in 18 rape claims leads to a conviction, down from one in four 20 years ago.

It follows several high-profile cases reported in the media in the last year where convictions were not achieved.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are launching an awareness campaign on March 14.

"It is very important that consent is gained before having sex because rape and sexual assaults are effectively carried out if there is no consent from one of the people involved.

"There needs to be a clear definition surrounding this and awareness needs to be raised."

The campaign will begin with two radio ads, followed by magazine ads on March 20 and posters in men's lavatories in pubs and clubs in urban areas.

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