Update on New Zealand Mother-Son GSA Case

I believe this is an update on a case in New Zealand I blogged about earlier in the year. Ian Steward reports at stuff.co.nz that a man convicted of raping his genetic mother even though the jury believed all events for which he was on trial involved consensual sex had his appeal dismissed. It appears to be a Genetic Sexual Attraction situation where, depending on who you believe, the son became increasingly violent and controlling.

The 29-year-old man, who was adopted as a baby, was sentenced to five years and nine months prison after being convicted of assaulting and raping his biological mother.

The offence occurred some months after he tracked her down to ask questions about his parentage last year.

Rather than multiple rapes, he was convicted of nine counts of incest after the jury found the sexual relationship they embarked on was consensual to begin with.

The man, who has name suppression, was found guilty of one representative count of rape later in their relationship.

The man's defence appealed his conviction on the "inconsistency" of him being found guilty on a non-specified representative count but not guilty on each of the specified ones.

The Court of Appeal rejected the argument and said it was open to the jury to accept that there was "an escalating pattern of violence" in their relationship.

The whole article is worth a read. One things is for sure: this was a sad situation.

It is obvious to anyone who pays attention to human relationships that people can be consensual lovers and be all wrong for each other, regardless of their genetic or familial connection or lack thereof. Sometimes, people are attracted to other people who are wrong for them, or who are abusive in general. Every adult should protect herself or himself from abusive or toxic people. It is easier for people to do that when consensual relationships (including those that are consanguineous or polyamorous) are not criminalized and stigmatized.