House votes to repeal Idaho law granting exception to spousal rape

ASSAULTAWARENESSMONTH... AND LASTWEEK ..

IDAHOLAWMAKERS PASSEDLEGISLATION TOPROTECT SURVIVORSOR POTENTIALVICTIMS OF SPOUSALRAPE AND SEXUALASSAULT IN AMARRIAGE.OUR NICOLECAMARDA SPOKEWITH SENATORMELISSA WINTROW,WHO SPONSOREDTHE BILL, TO FINDOUT WHY THISLEGISLATION ANDCHANGE IN IDAHOLAW IS IMPORTANTFOR BOTH MEN ANDWOMEN."IF YOU ARE IN ANONGOINGRELATIONSHIPESPECIALLY ONETHAT YOU AREMARRIED AND HAS ACONTRACT AND INPARTICULAR IF YOUHAVE ADOMINEERINGSPOUSE OR ANABUSIVE SPOUSETHE RISK FOR THISCRIME IS MUCHGREATER"IN A UNANIMOUSVOTE, STATELAWMAKERS PASSEDA BILL REPEALINGPART OF IDAHO LAWTHAT GRANTSEXCEPTIONS TOCRIMINAL ACTIVITYSUCH AS RAPE,BECAUSE OF BEINGIN A MARRIAGE.10 TO 14 PERCENT OFWOMEN IN THE U.S.ARE RAPED BY THEIRHUSBANDS - ANDONE-THIRD OFWOMEN HAVEREPORTEDUNWANTED SEXWITH A PARTNER."WE HAVE A RAPESTATUTE THAT HASAND IDENTIFIES OFWHAT CONSTITUTESRAPE AND ACTUALLYIN THIS PART OF THECODE THERE WEREEXCEPTIONS TOCONVICTION BASEDON YOURRELATIONSHIP."SENATE BILL 1089LOOKS TO REPEALTHAT - AND PROVIDEPROTECTION FORSPOUSAL RAPESURVIVORSWINTROW BROUGHTTHIS LEGISLATIONFORWARD AFTERRECEIVING AN EMAILFROM SOMEONEFACING THISCIRCUMSTANCE."I'M JUST SOPLEASED THAT WEARE ABLE TOUNANIMOUSLY PASSTHIS LAW TO SAY ITIS NO EXCUSE, RAPEIS RAPEREGARDLESS OF THERELATIONSHIP YOUARE IN.""BY REPEALINGTHOSE EXCEPTIONS,YOU CAN ACTUALLYBRING.A SPOUSECAN BRING A CASEAGAINST A SPOUSEFOR RAPE."THE WOMAN ANDCHILDRENS ALLIANCESAYS ITS ALREADYHARD FOR ANYONETO SPEAK UP ABOUTBEING IN THISSITUATION DUE TOTHE STIGMASURROUNDING THEISSUE."IF THE MINDSET IS'WELL YOU'REMARRIED HOWCOULD IT POSSIBLYHAVE BEEN RAPE'THEN I THINK THATWOULD ALSO BE AREASON WHY ANINDIVIDUAL WOULDNOT REACH OUT FORHELP IF YOU DON'TTHINK YOU'RE GOINGTO GET HELP WHYWOULD YOU REACHOUT IN THE FIRSTPLACE BECAUSETHIS IS NOTSOMETHING YOUWOULDNECESSARILY FEELGOOD ABOUTTALKING ABOUT."BUT NOW, MEN ANDWOMEN FACED WITHTHIS TYPE OFSITUATION CAN SEEKHELP - ANDULTIMATELY TAKETHEIR SPOUSE TOCOURT FORSPOUSAL RAPE."TO REPEAL THISLAW IS ADEMONSTRATIONTHAT IN THIS DAYAND AGE IN OURSOCIETY WE WILLNOT TOLERATE THAT.RAPE IS RAPE ANDYOU MAY NOT CROSSTHE PHYSICALBOUNDARY WITHOUTSOMEONE'SCONSENTREGARDLESS IFYOU'RE MARRIED ORNOT.

JUST BECAUSEYOU'RE MARRIEDDOESN'T MEAN YOUGET FULL FREEREIGN OVER YOURSPOUSE WHETHERYOU'RE A MAN OR AWOMAN PERIOD.PEOPLE HAVE THEIROWN AUTONOMY."NICOLE CAMARDA,IDAHO NEWS 6THE BI-PARTISANBILL NOW MOVES TOGOVERNOR LITTLE'SDESK FORCONSIDERATION ANDSIGNING.