A senior Scottish politician is to have “serious discussions” with Amazon over the sale of hen party dares cards following a sexual assault trial in Aberdeen.
Angela Cumming, 60, thrust her hand into the boxer shorts of a 22-year-old stranger after being dared to “put an ice cube down the front of the nearest man’s trousers”.
She was found guilty of sexual assault after her student victim told the trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court how her hand touched his genitals and he felt “shocked, shaken and violated”.
Mum-of-four Cumming told the court how she was simply following the instructions of a dare card, which are billed as “funny, silly, naughty and hilarious”.
However, shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene MSP said a game of dares was “no excuse” for sexual assault.
He told the Press and Journal: “My thoughts are with the victim of this sexual assault and I wish him well going forward.
“It’s right that someone who actually followed through with a dare of this nature has been held accountable for their actions, not least because the victim felt violated.
“Sexual assault has no place in our society and peer pressure or ‘dares’ are no excuse for it.”
The set of dare cards involved in this game is available to buy for £4.99 online through Amazon.
But some buyers have questioned their appropriateness in the reviews section.
One said: “Since the bride’s mother did not want ANYTHING rude or risque at all I could use hardly any of them.
“Some were fine – ‘blag a free drink from a stranger/barman’, ‘say something saucy into a man’s ear’, ‘down 2 shots’, ‘down a pint in one’, but most would have had the bride’s mother in a total state – ‘grab a bloke & perform a dirty dance’, ‘put an ice cube down a guy’s pants’, ‘fit a condom over a bottle using only your mouth’, ‘fake an orgasm & get marks out of 10’.”
Another said: “If you want to do cheap sleazy stuff these are for you!”
Others questioned whether some of the dares crossed the line from cheeky to criminal.
One buyer noted: “Although most of the cards are funny and awesome some of them we have had to take out only because if it was aimed at men with woman being on the receiving end of the dare it would be classed as sexual assault – for example the card that dares to pinch as many men’s bums in 60 seconds.”
Cards for stag parties are also available for sale, with some billed as “designed with the slightly more intoxicated person in mind”.
Dares for the groom and his friends include: “down a girl’s drink, then offer to buy her a fresh one” and “go in the gents and ask a guy in the next urinal … do you want a hand?”.
The shadow justice secretary said he will discuss the sale of the cards during his next meeting with the online giant.
Mr Greene added: “There is a serious discussion to be had around the marketing of these cards and Amazon’s decision to stock them, which they may wish to reconsider in light of this case.
“I will raise this with Amazon directly in my next imminent meeting.”
The Press and Journal contacted Amazon and put the concerns of Mr Greene to them, however a spokesperson declined to comment.
Trial debated rights and wrongs of dares cards
During the trial of Cumming – who carried out the assault at College Bar in Aberdeen city centre – fiscal depute Alan Townsend also questioned the appropriateness of the cards.
He said: “There may be debates in different forums about the rights and wrongs of these cards.”
He also put it to Cumming that what was appropriate a few decades ago was very much not deemed so now.
Mr Townsend asked her: “What was acceptable in the 80s is not acceptable today? Yes?
“Given the sands of time maybe you see that?”
Cumming, of Station Road, Newmachar, accepted that “in this day and time”, she did.
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