SEX Flashcards
(146 cards)
s128B Sexual Violation
Everyone commits sexual violation is liable to imprisonment not exceeding 20 years
A person convicted must be sentenced to terms of imprisonment unless the court thinks that person should not be sentenced to terms of imprisonment due to:
Particular circumstances of the person convicted, and
Particular circumstances of the offence and nature of the conduct
s128(1)(a) Sexual Violation by Rape
A Person
Rapes
Another Person
What do you look out for when reading scenarios for Rape?
Ensure you establish penetration of the genitalia by the penis and no valid consent. Age of the victim is irrelevant if there is no consent
s127 No Presumption because of Age
Any person of any age is capable of sexual connection. It is not a defence to say that either parties were too old or too young to have sexual connection
Ingredient definition: ‘A Person’ and ‘Another Person’
Gender neutral (the person’s biological gender is not relevant).
A person accepted by judicial notice or proved by circumstantial evidence
Ingredient definition: ‘Rapes’
As defined by s128(2) CA 1961, sexual violation by rape is effected by the penetration of the victims genitalia by the defendants penis without the victims consent or without believing on reasonable grounds that the victim is consenting
Define penetration
As defined in s2 CA 1961, any degree of penetration no matter how slight or fleeting, is sufficient
How do you prove penetration?
The complainant’s evidence
Medical examination including physical injuries and DNA evidence
The defendant’s admissions
R v N (penetration)
The offence is sufficiently proved by penetration of the vulva by the penis, proof of penetration of the vagina is not required
Define genitalia
The genitalia include the penis and testicles of a male and the vulva and vagina of a female. As defined in s2 CA 1961, it includes surgically constructed or reconstructed organ analogous (gender reassignment surgery) to naturally occurring male or female genitalia (whether the person concerned is a male, female or of indeterminate sex)
R v Koroheke (genitalia)
Genitalia comprise of the reproductive organs, internal and external, and includes the vulva and labia, both internal and external, at the opening of the vagina
Define Penis
As defined in s2 CA 1961, the penis forms part of the male genitalia and includes surgically constructed or reconstructed organ analogous to a naturally occurring penis (whether the person concerned is male, female or of indeterminate sex)
Define Consent
Consent is a persons conscious and voluntary agreement to something desired or proposed by another
R v Cox (consent)
Consent must be full, voluntary, free and informed. Freely and voluntarily given by a person in a position to form a rational judgement
R v Koroheke (consent)
Five Mongrel Mob members abducted and brutally violated a 15 year old girl. Their defence was she consented. The girl had only done what she was told because she was frightened.
it is important to distinguish between consent that is freely given, rather than submission to something that is unwanted but unavoidable
R v Guatama (consent, OBJECTIVE)
No reasonable person in the accused’s shoes could have thought there was consent
What must the crown prove beyond reasonable doubt? (the mens rea element)
There was an intentional act by the offender involving sexual connection with the complainant, and
The complainant did not consent to the sexual act (SUBJECTIVE), and
The offender did not believe the complainant was consenting (SUBJECTIVE, the offender’s mens rea), OR
The offender did believe the complainant was consenting but grounds for a belief were not reasonable (OBJECTIVE)
What are examples of invalid consent under s128A?
(1) Lack of protest or resistance
(2) Force, threat or fear of force
(3) Asleep or unconscious
(4) Affected by alcohol or drugs
(5) Intellectual, mental or physical impairment
(6) Mistake as to ID
(7) Mistake as to nature and quality of act
Under s128A what does ‘allows’ mean?
Acquiesces (to accept something reluctantly) or submits to or participates in sexual activity
What is lack of protest or resistance?
Does not mean the complainant is consenting, what is relevant is their state of mind. The defendant may have believed that because of the lack of protest or resistance she was consenting, but was that belief reasonable?
What is force, threat or fear of force?
(relates to consent in R v Koroheke)
It is not consent if:
some degree of force, or
the threat to use force, or
the fear that force would be used against them or another person,
was used to obtain compliance
What is the degree of force necessary to negate consent?
Force that is intended or sufficient to cause bodily harm. A lesser degree of force would be accepted if it caused the victim to submit or not put up a fight
What is asleep or unconscious?
Sexual activity while the complainant is asleep or unconscious is non-consensual, based on the fact that the relevant time for consent is the time of the sexual activity. Prior agreement before the complainant was asleep or unconscious does not constitute consent.
R v Adams (When is consent relevant?)
The material time when consent, and belief in consent, is to be considered is at the time the act actually took place.