A Kinky Death

A man was killed after being beaten up by a friend, allegedly because he gained sexual arousal from physical violence and asked to be beaten.

Sadomasochism can be fun but people must understand the risks involved with hard-core kink and this event goes to show it is not always fun and games.

Amjad Malik, prosecuting, told the jury: “You will hear that Colin Butler was a homosexual man and he had certain sexual preferences. He obtained sexual excitement from physical violence.

“He enjoyed violently taking part in hitting other men, usually with his fists. He also liked being punished to his face and indeed to his body. He also obtained sexual excitement watching other men fight.”

This death is tragic and the reasons behind it are allegedly the result of a sex game gone wrong. BDSM can be a great thing, but people need to understand the risks. There are rules that need to be followed and it seems that in this case that didn’t happen.

The pathologist estimated that Avery had rained no fewer than 29 blows on his victim. He had fractures to both cheeks, lower jaw and two fractures to his neck. His upper jaw had been detached. Mr Butler had also suffered 11 fractured ribs.

Mr Malik said that an examination of Mr Butler’s hands concluded that there was no evidence he had landed any forcible clenched fist blows.

It is possible that Mr. Butler was actually murdered, although this is being denied by Avery.

The laws around kink are complex and full of grey areas. For example, people have be prosecuted for abuse when their partners actually requested they hurt them. This treatment should be considered discrimination and made illegal.

Of course it is essential to examine the issue of consent and doctors and counsellors need to be aware of this when dealing with what looks like an assault issue. There is always the possibility that a person might have been coerced into BDSM and is being abused and this should be treated very seriously.

Whether this case was murder or manslaughter, hopefully the truth will come to light and it will serve as a message to practitioners of BDSM as well as law makers and the public about the potential dangers as well as issues of consent and diversity.