The Government has launched an advertising campaign warning men that they could go to jail for rape if they have sex without consent. The adverts will feature in lads’ magazines, on radio stations and in pub washrooms, targeting young men aged 18-24 to raise awareness and understanding of consent. The radio adverts will be broadcast on weekend early evening slots, at a time when young people are getting ready to go out. The campaign runs until 30 April. Copies of the advertising material are available here.

Consent is at the centre of the offence of rape. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 set down, for the first time, that a defendant in a rape case would need to show that they have reasonable grounds to believe that the other person had given their consent.

The Act also introduced a definition of consent – that a person consents if s/he ‘agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice’. The Sexual Offences Act was granted Royal Assent on 20 November 2003 and implemented on 1 May 2004.

While recognising, that only a small minority of men ever commit rape, the campaign is nevertheless aimed at men, because the vast majority of sexual offences are committed by men. It is also known that alcohol plays a significant role in rapes.

The campaign aims to reduce incidents of rape by ensuring that men understand they need to gain active consent before they have sex. The Government is spending £400,000 on the campaign, which will run until the end of April, and aims to reduce the number of offences committed and increase reporting rates. Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart commented:

"For a long time, work to raise awareness of sexual violence has focused on the need for women to take responsibility for their personal safety. That is still important, but I believe that we need to start putting the onus onto men and make them aware of their responsibilities."

"I want young men to see these adverts and realise that they should not be having sex unless they have secured the consent of the other person. Our campaign is not saying 'don't have sex'; it is about ensuring that sex is mutually agreed. Victims of crime often feel they are to blame for the offence, they are not - perpetrators are. But I want to make sure that men, who are most often the perpetrators of this appalling crime, are fully aware of their responsibility to seek consent before having sex. I hope that greater awareness of the law and a clearer sense of everybody’s responsibilities will lead to a reduction in the number of rapes committed."

Further information on Government policy and legislation on sexual offences, and details on where to find advice and support for victims of rape, see the sexual offences page on the Home Office website.