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The NSPCC has said that a leading barrister's call for the age of consent to be lowered in a bid to end the "persecution of old men" in the wake of the Savile scandal "beggars belief".

Barbara Hewson also argued that crimes committed by disgraced broadcaster Stuart Hall were "low level misdemeanours" and called for an end to anonymity complainants.

These outdated and simply ill-informed views would be shocking to hear from anyone but to hear them from a highly experienced barrister simply beggars belief.

Stuart Hall has pleaded guilty to abusing children as young as nine years old, we think most people would agree that crimes of this nature are incredibly serious. Thankfully the law, and most people, are very clear on this matter.

To minimise and trivialise the impact of these offences for victims in this way is all but denying that they have in fact suffered abuse at all. Any suggestion of lowering the age of consent could put more young people at risk from those who prey on vulnerable young people.

And we must strongly defend the right for victims to remain anonymous and to ask for justice no matter when they choose to come forward.

Read: Barrister calls for age of consent to be lowered to 13

• UK

The age of consent for sex should be lowered to 13-years-old in a bid to end the "persecution of old men" in the wake of the Savile sex abuse scandal, a leading barrister has argued.

In an article for online magazine Spiked, Barbara Hewson, who specialises in reproductive rights, criticises "the post-Savile witch-hunting of ageing celebs".

She also claimed that crimes committed by disgraced broadcaster Stuart Hall were "low level misdemeanours".

"Ordinarily, Hall's misdemeanours would not be prosecuted, and certainly not decades after the event.

Ms Hewson argues that "touching a 17-year-old's breast, kissing a 13-year-old, or putting one's hand up a 16-year-old's skirt" are not comparable to cases such as the Ealing Vicarage rape or Fordingbridge gang rape and murders from 1986.

She also called for an end of anonymity for complainants.

• UK

• UK
• Weather
• London

• UK
• London
• Weather

There are two seats left to declare in Kent. Here's the picture so far:

• Conservatives 44
• UKIP 15
• Labour 13
• Lib Dems 7
• Greens 1
• Residents Association 1

• UK
• Local Elections 2013

With the promising weather set to make for a great weekend you may be planning to get away this bank holiday with your family.

However if your offspring are prone to car sickness then the journey may not be as easy as hoped. Here are 10 tips which may help your children to overcome car sickness

• Opening the window has been found can help reduce the symptoms of car sickness
• Anti-sickness medicine
• Sitting the children in the front of the car or in a window seat
• Encourage them not to read or look down while travelling
• Having a sleep may help them

• Deep breathing
• Wearing an acupressure wrist band
• Distract your child by getting them to listen to music
• Taking ginger supplements
• Ask your child to fix their eyes on the horizon

• UK
• London
• Weather

• UK
• Local Elections 2013

The Conservatives have lost overall control of East Sussex County Council. The results so far:

• 19 Conservative
• 10 Lib Dem
• 7 Labour
• 6 UKIP
• 3 Independent
• 2 No description

2 seats are still to be declared.

There has been a 33% turn out

• UK
• Local Elections 2013