New York will expand its legal definition of rape to include various forms of nonconsensual sexual contact, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday.

The state’s current limited definition was a factor in writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse and defamation case against former President Donald Trump. The jury in the federal civil trial rejected the writer’s claim last May that Trump had raped her in the 1990s, instead finding the former president responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse.

The current law defines rape as vaginal penetration by a penis. The new law broadens the definition to include nonconsensual anal, oral, and vaginal sexual contact. Highlighting Carroll’s case at a bill signing ceremony in Albany, the Democratic governor said the new definition will make it easier for rape victims to bring cases forward to prosecute perpetrators. The law will apply to sexual assaults committed on or after Sept. 1.

“The problem is, rape is very difficult to prosecute,” Hochul said. “Physical technicalities confuse jurors and humiliate survivors and create a legal gray area that defendants exploit.”

In Carroll’s case against Trump, which stemmed from an encounter at a Manhattan luxury department store, the judge later said that the jury’s decision was based on “the narrow, technical meaning” of rape in New York penal law and that, in his analysis, the verdict did not mean that Carroll “failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’”

While various states define rape in different ways, every state criminalizes oral, anal, and vaginal sexual contact that is nonconsensual, according to Sandi Johnson, a senior legislative policy counsel at Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network. Prior to its new law, New York defined penetration of the vagina or other bodily orifices with anything other than a penis as “sexual abuse” rather than “rape.”

Many other states continue to place unwanted oral or anal sexual contact in a category other than rape.

Johnson said New York’s new guidelines validate what has happened to survivors. Calling a criminal sexual act anything other than rape “kind of sanitizes it,” she said.

At Tuesday’s bill signing, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who sponsored the legislation, said the new changes would also make it easier for members of the LGBTQ community to hold perpetrators of sex crimes accountable.

“We can’t have our laws ignore the reality that so many New Yorkers, particularly LGBTQ New Yorkers, among others, have experienced,” the Democrat said.

“Before today, many of those assaults wouldn’t be able to be classified as rape in New York state,” he said. “But now we fixed that language.”

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-rape-law-governor-hochul-50e5f9d35b1a7e26881db616a787b45a#:~:text=The%20new%20law%20broadens%20the,cases%20forward%20to%20prosecute%20perpetrators

So if gay penetrate person ass hole for Naija like dis no be rape because we never update our law for Naija

Very good l. I know many nairaland men no go like am

Na wa o....

There's nothing the evil Democrats will not do to eliminate enigmatic Trump from being on ballot.

Damnnn niggar
Isoright

The new law broadens the definition to include nonconsensual anal, oral, and vaginal sexual contact

It makes sense
Not just nonconsensual contact
But that of the oral, anal and vaginal

Why will someone rape, touch the vaginal or anal without the person's consent

It baffles me how people rape

If a woman is not emotionally happy with me I can't get an erection not to talk of raping her when she is even in pains and crying

I know who’s gon be pissed about this

Na my Nija brothers I go pity pass for this ooo.

Alright then.

atiku4President:
Very good l. I know many nairaland men no go like am

Well, the law applies to NY residents, so...

Just concerned why Trump is used in the heading. Was the law to get Trump? Or to do what it is supposed to do?

Biden should buckle up and face Trump in the coming election and stop using the court to stop him. What is he afraid of?

Well, expanded for only NYC residents

So if a lady is about to fall or trip down a drain, I should just fold my hands and watch as she falls into the drain in order to avoid rape right?

All these things get as im be ooo...

Na the Trump go still be their president......

Sounds funny to me...

We re observing from afar

What of body rub body for public transport.

Rape crews, your news. Wetin concern me with wahala. Na person wer no get self-control dey rape. 500naira I don enter and come out sharp sharp. Drink my Alogin after

Our next president.
No shaking

Ok

I love what is happening to Trump

He should go and seat tight for the next election.

Waiting for the whole drama

Donald Trump: the shameless crook and traitor sent by Russia to destroy America from inside.

They dey adjust their law just to implicate one man.
The desperation is obvious

Any sensible American should vote for Donald Trump

Edited: The law will apply to sexual assaults committed on or after Sept. 1.

Wahala

HonNL:


https://apnews.com/article/new-york-rape-law-governor-hochul-50e5f9d35b1a7e26881db616a787b45a#:~:text=The%20new%20law%20broadens%20the,cases%20forward%20to%20prosecute%20perpetrators

the should have added unwanted P contact to widen the net to accommodate unwanted sexual acts perpetuated by women

GanagiBitrus:

What of body rub body for public transport.

niggaaaaaaaaaaaaa🤣🤣🤣

Hope they'll upgrade it to eye contact. So that everybody will be taken in including women. But if it stopped at this now all men must go down. Now women will have to write an application/consent letter if they need a man. For now we are all singing "i no like this your Touching body"

Ghen ghen!!!