|
|
Rape: A National Issue Crime transpires within busy cities and throughout rural towns nationwide. In New York, a man is arrested for stealing cars, while in Los Angeles a college-aged boy is sentenced for burglarizing people’s homes. As well as the south and Midwest, people are being arrested, convicted, and sentenced for crimes all defined by the laws of their governing jurisdictions. Yet, one crime violating the laws of society, morality and women everywhere, is not being reported, allowing the offenders to walk the streets of America and enjoy the privileges of law-abiding citizens as if he is innocent of everything. While nearly 65% of misdemeanor offenders are paying their debt to society, less than 5% of rapists will go to jail. Experts estimate that as many as 90% of all rapes are never reported. This astounding percentage can be accounted for because rape is a crime that is difficult to define, consequently difficult to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law; especially without physical evidence. On one hand, most argue that for the word to illustrate the full extent of its impact, it can only be defined as forced sexual intercourse. Therefore, in a judge’s eyes, if on a date this does not imply force – which is the problem. Still, others agree that it can happen when a date is pushed to an extreme. According to Webster’s 1991 New Riverside Dictionary, rape is the crime of forcing a person to submit to sexual intercourse. It is also defined as any form of forced sex, regardless of who the rapist is in relation to the victim and despite his use of penetration. Hence, the terms acquaintance and date rape.
|
