2.8.18
Suggested lead: In Olympia, lawmakers hope
to fix a technicality that’s denied justice to countless victims of sexual
assault. Dan Frizzell has more.
Wrap (:82 total): In current law, sex
predators can avoid conviction for third-degree rape if they force a sex act on
a person who did not consent to the act and whose lack of consent was not, and
we’ll quote here, “clearly expressed by the victim’s words or conduct.”
ORWALL: “I
think it’s going to fix what’s difficult when a victim goes through the law and
the enforcement process because they feel like they’re on trial for how their
body reacted. And what we want is the perpetrator to be on trial.
So we think this is going to be justice in the courtroom
to survivors and a very important step forward.” [:19]
Her bill, which left the House on a 98-to-zero vote
Thursday, allows charges of third-degree rape when the victim did not give
consent, period. It takes the onus off the victim and if it makes it through the
Senate and is signed into law, it promises to make life a lot tougher for
rapists in Washington state. In
Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.