Modern statutes tend to define a spectrum of prohibited, non-consensual sexual acts under the umbrella of “sexual assault” and “sexual abuse.”
These run the gamut from unwanted touching, to child molestation, to attempted rape and rape.
“Rape” is a crime that has been in the legal lexicon for a very long time, and as a result it carries significant baggage when it comes to defining the act.
Traditionally, rape was understood to be heterosexual intercourse where the rapist was male and the victim was female, and not the attacker’s wife.
Obviously, this definition feels out of place in our culture.
As a result, the broader term “sexual assault” provides an umbrella that covers a criminal act like rape (now defined less rigidly in New Jersey law) as well as similar acts.
If you’ve been charged with a sex crime in New Jersey, don’t delay getting tough criminal defense protection.
Call Matthew Reisig today at 732-625-9661 and talk to a tough New Jersey sex crimes defense attorney for free.