Outrageous Oppression in Scotland

A Scottish father and his adult daughter fell in love and now the father is being treated like a monster by the courts and the media. They won’t even name him in this article.

The 71-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted having incestuous sex with his daughter over a 13-year period from 1985 to 1998.

Why is this a crime?

Judge Lord Woolman deferred sentence until later this month and placed the man on the sex offenders register. He was remanded in custody.

Consensual sex – private lovemaking – gets a man a scarlet letter and prison. Where is the outrage?

Prosecutor Andrew Miller told the court that the daughter, who is 46, moved back in with her father in 1985 after her marriage collapsed.

So she would have been about 21 years of age when this developed.

Mr Miller said: "She gave birth to three children by him."

They should have been encouraged to marry. But until we have full marriage equality, that can’t happen.

"The sexual relationship was at the instigation of her father.”

Don’t men initiate most sexual relationships between men and women? The language being used is intentionally accusatory.

”She had concerns, but was unable to raise them."

She was an adult – an adult who had been previously married. This went on for 13 years and produced three children. If she had concerns, she was certainly able to raise them. Clearly, she is being pressured into renouncing her love.

Judge Woolman said he did not have sufficient information on the effects of the offences on the daughter and the children to proceed to sentence at this stage.

This article gives no indication that the children have previously suffered. But we can be sure they are suffering now, with their father imprisoned and the love between their parents treated as a crime. As long as some people are treated this way, none of us are free.