A United Nations expert on violence against women and girls has criticized remarks made by Scottish Green Party Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Q Manivannan, who suggested that rape is a ‘spectrum’ of offenses. UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem stated that rape should never be discussed in such terms, asserting that it risks undermining significant global progress in criminalizing the act.
Alsalem’s comments follow a growing backlash against Manivannan, who had previously claimed there was a ‘demonisation’ of rape. A coalition of Scottish rape crisis centers also issued a statement emphasizing that ‘there is no hierarchy of rape’ and survivors should not have to question the severity of their experience.
Manivannan, an MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, has maintained that their remarks were taken out of context. They apologized for the ‘abstract’ language that caused ‘considerable upset,’ adding that the mischaracterization of their words had triggered personal trauma related to surviving sexual violence.
The controversial comments were reportedly made on the Subjective Space podcast last year. Manivannan, who identifies as non-binary, stated at the time, ‘I think our distaste towards rape is towards the idea of and the act of rape, not towards the myth of this monster rapist. Because that definitely is a demonisation of rape in the sense of, it is a spectrum… It is a spectrum of things that constitute that one homogenised word, rape.’ Scottish law defines rape as non-consensual penetration by a penis.
In response to the controversy, Alsalem wrote online that rape is a grave human rights violation that can also amount to torture. She added, ‘However, that most certainly does NOT turn rape into a spectrum nor should it ever be spoken of in those terms. Insinuations that acts of rape could fall on a spectrum risk undermining the important progress we have made around the globe in criminalizing rape, which should cover rape against all persons, including marital rape.’ While Alsalem did not name Manivannan, her comments were seen as a direct response to the MSP’s statements.
The Scottish Rape Crisis Alliance also addressed the issue in an open letter, stating that rape is a life-altering event for survivors, not a theoretical discussion. The Alliance rejected the suggestion that society is ‘demonising’ rape, stating instead that they are ‘naming’ the fear, trauma, and loss of control experienced by survivors. They echoed Alsalem’s concerns about describing rape as existing ‘on a spectrum,’ emphasizing that ‘there is no hierarchy of rape’ and survivors should not have to determine if their experience was ‘serious enough to matter.’
SNP children’s minister Siobhan Brown called Manivannan’s comments ‘really concerning and deeply ill-judged,’ stating that rape ‘is not a spectrum, it is an abhorrent crime which needs to be stamped out.’
In a statement, Manivannan expressed horror at the selective editing of their comments but accepted responsibility for the abstract language used. They apologized for the distress caused by the misrepresented remarks and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting victims and survivors. Manivannan offered to meet with survivor and advocacy groups to discuss ways to make Scotland safer and more compassionate.