POLITICS
House bill would make rape law gender neutral
By Carrie Dennett
Ernecatd Reporter
A new bill m the stale Lcgis
lilture is (Iran mu both praise
and < ritic ism on a deeply per
sonal and sensitive issue it
would allow prosec ution of te
males for r,i[ie
House Hill 2 a 4 4 would
c hange (tie language ol the ex
istmg state Ian from being gen
der spec die to being gender
neutral
The bill's creation was
prompted in part b\ a c all Kep
Peter ( ourtnev I) Salem re
reived from a police otlic or in
leffeisoil County about a case
involving the sexual abuse of a
m.de child b\ an adult woman
This woman was doing
something to a child, and it
amounted to rape Courtney
said
Tlie polic c* n ere limited he
said, bec ause there is no provi
sum of the c ommissionOt rape
In a woman, and the c barges
they could bring against her
did not i am the same penal
ties
It an adult female engages
in sexual mterc ourse with a
y oung boy it is i onsufered sex
ual abuse, said Kuss Spenc.er
a lobbyist for the Oregon Sher
iffs Zero Crime Tolerant e I’.V
On tlie other band it an
adult male engages in sexual
inli'ii ourse u ith a young girl, it
is i nnsidered rape
K.i(>*• is .1 ('lass A B or ( telo
in while sexual abuse (.irnes
imlv a ( lass ( felonv down lo a
misdemeanor i barge
I here is an obvious dispart
l\ " Spent er said
Despite an apparent contra
diction in the severitv of the
charges stun*' believe th.it
i hanging the definition of rape
is nut the ( orrer t response
I here\ nu re.ison to call
that rape said Hoik Slegner
a member nt t he I 'ni\ ersity's
I'mvanled Sexual Meh.avi.or
1 ask hurt e
It the sexuaTabuse laws are
not sti ii I enough she said
then thev should he strength
ened r.ithei than removing
gender from the rape statutes
"To have it degenden/ed Is
to ignore ttu* i.oih opt in which
rape o< i urs said |o 1'rigilio <>t
tile \ SI ( ) U lilllrn s (enter
Vmi iv losing something v •• r\
historical ami contextual about
rape
Spemer said the Sheriffs \s
sim lation formed a task, force to
determine w hat the biggest
problems are and to push fot
some significant measures on
sexual assault during this legis
I alive session
\ substantial part of the lull s
birth c arne out of this task
force made up of sheriffs dep
uly disti ll t attorned s anil detei
lives all with experielu c* ileal
mg with sexual assault i axes
We were seeing a progres
sive inc rease in cases where
adult ivimii'ii were engaging in
sexual intercourse with young
bo\ x.' Spcuic er said
(.ourtney one of the lull s
sponsors said the bill sigmli
c antly states for the law in tire
gun that the' rape of anyone by
anyone is heinous arid mexi us
Fair, Trustworthy and
Fiscally Responsible
Vole for
JASON WILSON
for IFC I Year Seal
Paid for hi J. Wilson for IH_
V
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iliU: I'hin makes il mure sen
ms and cm nmpassing law
Kape is ,i i rilin' nt \ in
i’in i*. In' said A vv mu.in
mild do llif same thing tu .1
:ii.ilr i liilil
S|(ii'in rr s.ml it Is .1 i iiltllllOli
v In-lit lielifl lli.il women i an
int rapi' mi'll. hei ause it a mail
las an eret turn it implies i nn
amt
However In' said it Inis lit'i'it
nii'dii ally suhslantiatril that an
t'ti'i tuin is a pliysuiliigii.il re
spouse anil does nut ni'i I’ssan
Iv nman tlm mail* is aroused
lust as tin' prt'M'in i' ut vaginal
lulirit atmn ilm*s nut ni'i nssar ilv
lml it ala fimialr aniiisal
I rigilin said that the nru lull
i mild hi' i unstrui'd as a gut
e\un thing
THE FAR SIDE
By GARY LARSON
Shrew People quick, carnivorous, usually nocturnal
beings; smaller but more vicious than the
better known Mole People eat live times their
own body weight every day. cannibals
u
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