Defining a Doubtful Crime !

Two star Rugby League players have been stood down indefinitely  by their club for what is described as a " breach of the player's code of conduct ".  It is alleged that when the team played a match at Port Macquarie they had consensual sex with high school girls after the game.

There seems little doubt that this matter will be contentious because no laws were broken.  The age of consent in New South Wales is sixteen and  having attained that age having sex is entirely a decision for the people concerned of both genders.

In this case, the emotive words seem to be " school girls ".  The law comes down hard on a school teacher having sex with students under his or her control and attaining the age of consent is not a condoning factor.  It is not suggested that these girls were in school uniform at the time they made contact with the League players and it is usual for fans of both genders to congregate and make contact with players after the game.

In the music world, what are termed " groupies " follow successful bands and go to great lengths to establish intimate contact. Sex is usually freely on offer and girls boast of their success with a favoured artist.  It would not be unusual for a similar outlook to condition contact with players who had attained fame on the sporting field.

So - once again we have sex rearing its ugly head.  Rugby League has been constantly damaged by player behaviour off the field and this has involved drunken behaviour and  sometimes even  complaints of rape.  The League has cracked down hard.  Now just drawing adverse publicity can result in player suspension and that is exactly what has transpired as a result of this Port Macquarie incident.

Now we are coming to the defense stage and it is expected that the players will; demand the suspension be lifted.  A century earlier attitudes to sex were vastly more moralistic, but in todays world it has become a rite of social intercourse that is often taken for granted.  The invention of the " pill " removed the threat of maternity and sexual freedom became a subject dragged screaming into the public domain.

There is now nothing unusual about girls still going to school having sex.  Interestingly, it is not their parents complaining and the only litigant seems to be the Rugby League officials. In these circumstances, this seems to be a case of " much ado about nothing "  !