Rape Row: Clarke 'Sorry' For Causing Upset

The Justice Secretary has said sorry for upsetting people with comments he made about rape - but stopped short of a full apology.

Ken Clarke admitted his remarks about the differences between "serious, proper rapes" and others had "obviously upset a lot of people".

But he did not offer a full apology for the comments, which led to Labour leader Ed Miliband calling for his resignation.

Speaking on the BBC's Question Time, Mr Clarke said: "I obviously upset a lot of people by what I said and I'm sorry if I did, by the way I put it.

"All rape is serious. It's one of the gravest crimes.

"My choice of words was wrong. It's because I got bogged down in a silly exchange."

The furore began after Mr Clarke gave media interviews in which he defended Government proposals to halve the sentences of some rapists if they make early guilty pleas.

During a BBC Radio 5 Live phone-in programme, the Justice Secretary spoke about the average five-year prison sentence for rape.

"That includes date rape, 17-year-olds having intercourse with 15-year-olds," he said.

But a clearly upset caller, who identified herself as a rape victim, criticised the tone Mr Clarke was taking.

Late on Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice announced he had written to the unidentified woman and said he was sorry.

Mr Clarke's letter read: "I have always believed that all rape is extremely serious and must be treated as such."

He added: "I am sorry if my comments gave you any other impression or upset you."

However the Justice Secretary has refused to apologise publicly, with Labour continuing to question how he could remain in charge of justice policy for the coalition.

Mr Clarke told Sky News he was simply explaining a "long-standing factual situation".

"I've always said that all rape is serious and I've no intention of changing the sentencing guidelines on rape, which always attracts serious imprisonment, quite rightly," he said.

"Different rapes get different lengths of sentences from judges and always have, and they now follow sentencing guidelines which explain the different degrees of sentences.

"If I caused genuine offence to anybody by explaining that long-standing factual situation, then I must have made a very poor choice of words, so I will try to choose my words more carefully in the future."