Q Manivannan: “Victims should be believed regardless of who the perpetrator was, and rapists should be punished in the strongest terms.”

Any suggestion that my statements minimise or excuse rape or sexual assault are deeply false and misleading.

This clip has been clearly misrepresented and taken out of context from a much longer interview.

I am genuinely sorry to everyone who has been distressed, hurt or triggered by the clips, and by the discussion and coverage that has followed.

If we are to tackle rape and sexual violence we need to tackle wider issues in society, including the ways boys and men are socialised.