Rape rules

In his rather odd statement about rape (Letters, 1 July), Malcolm W Ewen seems to confuse contributory factors to an outcome with mitigation of a crime.

To take a less emotive scenario, if a woman, with foolish disregard for her own safety, fails to look both ways before stepping off the pavement and is killed by a speeding motorist, her folly does not mitigate the crime committed by the driver but it was, nevertheless, a contributory factor to her death.

JAMES D BROWN

Burnside Road

Elgin