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There have been a rash of media reports, in recent years, about women who were killed due to “sex gone wrong.” As of August, there were 57 women in the UK killed by men who used the excuse of “sex game gone wrong” as part of their defence. In some cases, judges have determined that, even in cases of horrific violence, “consensual” sex somehow vindicates perpetrators.

In response to the short sentence given to Natalie Connolly’s partner, John Broadhurst, who left Connolly to die at the foot of a staircase, after having inflicted more than 40 injuries upon her, Fiona Mackenzie launched the We Can’t Consent To This campaign — a UK-based project cataloguing the women and girls killed and injured in what was claimed to be “consensual” sexual violence, and challenging lawmakers and authorities to hold the men responsible accountable.

In this episode, I speak with Fiona about her project and why this defence is both accepted and popular.

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Meghan Murphy Founder & Editor Meghan Murphy is a freelance writer and journalist. She has been podcasting and writing about feminism since 2010 and has published work in numerous national and international publications, including The Spectator, UnHerd, the CBC, New Statesman, Vice, Al Jazeera, The Globe and Mail, and more. Meghan completed a Masters degree in the department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University in 2012 and lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her dog.