the u.s. justice department announced they are expanding its 85-year definition of rape to include attacks against both men & transgendered women. as such, any non consensual penetration, no matter the gender of the attacker or victim, will now constitute rape.
according to a release from the white house & the department of justice, "rape will now be defined as penetration, no matter how slight, of the anus or vagina with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ or another person, without the consent of the victim."
attorney general eric holder announced the changes to the uniform crime report's definition of rape. the justice department says this will better reflect state criminal codes & updated definitions of sexual penetration. the new definition will lead to a more comprehensive nationwide statistical reporting.
said holder, "these long overdue updates to the definition of rape will help ensure justice for those whose lives have been devastated by sexual violence & reflect the department of justice's commitment to standing with rape victims." the attorney general continued, "this new, more inclusive definition will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the scope & volume of these crimes."
an fbi advisory panel recently recommended revisions to the historic definition, which was established in 1927. that law defined rape as the "carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly & against her will." expressed in solely heterosexual constructs, the law meant rape only happened when a man forcibly penetrated a woman through her vagina.
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