Is Virtual Crime Real Crime?
T here are classes of offences that are quite different to others and that difference is problematic for thinkers and doers alike. A recent report from the BBC tells us that a girl, under 16, was engaging in a VR game (or based on other reports I have heard, was engaging in a VR environment*) when her avatar was either “attacked” or “gang raped” online. Police are apparently investigating this. Legally she can’t have been raped due to the nature of what rape currently is. The reports suggest that she “suffered the same psychological trauma as someone who has been raped in the real world”. So far, I have not seen anything that suggests that we have any evidence for this, other than opinion, but if she has been assessed by people who work with people who have been raped then this might very well be true. The problem with using media reports as jumping off points for thinking is that there is infrequently the necessary detail. I think this raises some interesting issues for re...