UK Home Secretary Faces Backlash Over Date Rape Drug Joke

British Home Secretary James Cleverly is facing criticism for making a controversial joke about date rape shortly after announcing plans to combat what he called a "perverse" offense.

Cleverly, who oversees national security and law enforcement in England and Wales, is now under pressure to step down after reportedly making the joke at an event at the Prime Minister's residence, where he suggested drugging his wife.

During a reception on December 18th, Cleverly remarked to women guests that the key to a long marriage was having a spouse who "is always mildly sedated so she can never realize there are better men out there," according to the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

He even went as far as suggesting that "a little bit of Rohypnol," commonly known as the date rape drug, in her drink every night was "not really illegal if it's only a little bit."

Rohypnol, when surreptitiously added to someone's drink, can cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, and memory loss.

Cleverly later apologized through a spokesperson, characterizing the comment as an "ironic joke."

This incident occurred after he had announced the Conservative government's intention to update legislation to explicitly criminalize drink spiking, referring to the practice as a "perverse" crime.

While conversations at such events are typically considered off the record, the Sunday Mirror chose to report the incident due to Cleverly's high-ranking position and the sensitive nature of the subject matter.

Jemima Olchawski, CEO of the women's rights group the Fawcett Society, condemned Cleverly's remarks as "sickening" and called for his resignation. She questioned his ability to address violence against women and girls seriously, saying, "It's sickening that the senior minister responsible for women's safety treats something as terrifying as drugging women as a laughing matter."

Cleverly, 54, who met his wife in college and has two children, had previously expressed a personal commitment to addressing violence against women and girls. However, senior members of the opposition Labour Party criticized his "appalling" comments.

Yvette Cooper, a Labour Member of Parliament, said, "It is truly unbelievable that the home secretary made such appalling jokes on the very same day the government announced new policy on spiking. Victims will understandably be questioning if they can trust him to take this vile crime seriously."

The government has pledged to clarify that drink spiking is a crime but has not yet made it a specific offense. According to a Home Office report, police in England and Wales receive an average of 561 reports of drink spiking each month, primarily from women reporting incidents at bars and nightclubs.