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Romeo And Juliet Rape Research Paper

1182 Words5 Pages

In the United States, 89,000 rape cases are reported a year. Of all the rapes completed or attempted, 16% of the victims were women and 3% were men (“Rape Statistics”). Statutory rape is the act of sexual intercourse with someone who is underage. Over the years, rape has become a more common act. Men are being punished more often than women, even if the sex is consensual. The laws of rape seem to be patronizing girls and discriminating boys. Rape, under certain circumstances, laws many people do not know, and individuals who have been raped but are afraid to speak out lead to the laws of rape looking relatively unfair. Rape, under specific conditions, can lead to unfair punishment. Many people question whether or not sex is considered rape under certain circumstances. When two partners drink, whether at a party or just at home, it can lead to sex. If one or both partners are drunk and one does not …show more content…

If both partners are close in age or under the age of consent, some states will use what is known as the “Romeo and Juliet Laws”. The “Romeo and Juliet Laws” have a different set of punishment for statutory rape. In some states, the offense is dropped to a lower punishment, like not being registered as a sex offender, while other states let a defense go up against the criminal charges (“Statutory Rape - FindLaw”).
Therefore, situations like these often lead to unfair punishment for only one partner. Statutory rape punishment normally consists of felony charges. The rapists may face a year or more in prison and be fined. Unless the rapist can prove the victim’s consent, they may not try to use the “Romeo and Juliet Laws”. In a few states, the rapist may try to show that they truly believed the victim was of the age to give consent. Most states do not pay attention to this, and believe the rapist is being irrelevant, even if the victim faked their age on purpose

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