STATUTORY RAPE

STATUTORY RAPE

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WHAT IS STATUTORY RAPE

Statutory rape is the commonly used name for the criminal offense that occurs when a person has sexual relations with another person who is not old enough to legally consent to having sexual relations.

Under Connecticut law, both males and females who are under the age of sixteen cannot legally consent to sexual relations. This means that even if two people choose to have sex, if one of them is under age sixteen, the older person COULD be charged with sexual assault. Because this kind of sexual behavior is defined by statute (a law) as rape (sexual assault) it is commonly known as "statutory rape", even though that term is not used in the text of the law, Connecticut OLR Research Report, 2008-R-0501

LEGAL CONSEQUENCES

In Connecticut, anyone who has sexual relations or sexual contact with a person under age sixteen could be prosecuted for statutory rape, which is punishable by up to ten years in prison, and up to twenty years in prison if the victim is under age thirteen. The charge could be a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on several factors, including, but not limited to:

If the victim is under age thirteen
If the age difference between the two people is more than two years
The extent of the sexual activity between the two people

Charges may be filed by:

the victim
the victim’s parents or guardians
the State’s Attorney

Even if the victim or the victim’s parents refuse to cooperate, the State’s Attorney can still file criminal charges against the other person. Also, the victim’s parents may file charges even if the victim does not want to file charges.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Call the Connecticut State's Attorney for legal definitions and more information.

More information and links to selected Statutes:
Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Librarian's, "Connecticut Law about Statutory Rape".

TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:

Search by service name:

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SOURCES: Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, Report #2008-R-0501; Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Librarian's, Connecticut Law About Statutory Rape"
PREPARED BY: 211/kq
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: January2013