These are the people my daughter works with, Anny. This woman would have been defenseless against anyone. There are indications of prosecutorial malfeasance, as well. They prosecuted only on "physical disability", did not include "mental disability". Here's some more info:
I know sweet heart, I realise the problem and it is a problem because within the very large group we are talking about some people are very highly sexed and uninhibitedly so. so what can the Law do ? Say that a physically grown man or woman is not a man or woman but a child ? It is a tough one.
It is easy enough for us to, without all the facts, condemn this man because the woman is 'helpless' but I would want to see what she said before doing so and know more about him and how long they had known each other and so on.
I am not saying it was so in this case but it is within the relms of possibility that the two enjoyed one another, the man has been in prison for what four/five years, why or how would such a case come to a high court if there were not some doubt somewhere some how about her consent all along ? He was convicted by a jury who would in the present moral climate usually react in 'disgust' rather than correctly.
Sorry pet one needs to know more before passing judgement. I too had at one time quite a lot of contact with the mentally under developed and their parents/carers, they too are all individuals of varying degrees of sexual awarness and capacity to love as well as all other human attributes. It is just too easy to condemn out of hand because of our own sensibilities.
If the body wants sexual and or loving physical pleasures even though the mind is under developed should the Law deny the pleasure ?
And the man was convicted for sexual assault not rape.
ps you added bits to your post

......I am not saying it was a correct verdict but there are buts to this whole subject. I have seen people heartbreakingly denied loving relatioships because of their 'mental ages', I just hope for others like them that the overturning of this verdict has merit and a warmer understanding of their feelings comes out of it.
But if it is simply that the prosicution fucked up ...poor everyone.
I also realise that the vunerable are always more likey to be missused in our very fucked up societies. It is one of our social problems. the tougher life gets, the less love is admired and encouraged the harder the Law comes down on those who 'abuse' that which we do not encourage ......it is a complete contradiction. When we allow our gentleness through so will it grow...keep on advertising plastic love and cybre violence and there will be more and more abuse on every level of society