- statutory rape
-
statutory rape n: rape consisting of sexual intercourse with a person beneath an age (as 14 years) specified by statute◇ Many state statutes also specify a minimum age of the perpetrator or an age differential (as at least four years) between the perpetrator and the victim. Consent of the victim and belief that the victim is of the age of consent are usu. considered immaterial. Statutory rape is now codified under various names, such as rape in the second degree rape in the third degree unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, and criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- statutory rape
-
An act of sexual intercourse that involves consenting partners but is legally considered rape because one or both of the partners were below the legal age of consent.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- statutory rape
-
Sexual intercourse with a person who has not yet reached the age of consent (determined by state law), whether or not the sexual act is against that person's will. In many states, "Romeo and Juliet" trysts, in which the male and female are young and there is little or no difference in age between them, are punished less severely than when the victim is significantly younger than the perpetrator. When the victim is not only below the age of consent, but also a child (as defined by state law), the offense may be rape or child molestation.Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- statutory rape
-
Sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- statutory rape
-
Sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- statutory rape
-
n.sexual intercourse with a female below the legal age of consent but above the age of a child, even if the female gave her consent, did not resist and/or mutually participated. In all but three states the age of consent is 18, and the age above which the female is no longer a child varies, although 14 is common. The theory of statutory rape is that the girl is incapable of giving consent, although marriage with a parent's consent is possible in many states at ages as low as 14. Intercourse with a female child (below 14 or whatever the state law provides) is rape, which is a felony. Increasingly statutory rape is not charged when there is clear consent by the female, particularly when the girl will not cooperate in a prosecution. Controversy continues over what constitutes "resistance" or "consent," particularly when some men insist a woman who said "no" really meant "yes."
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
