Maryland lawmakers hope to repeal “archaic” provisions in the state’s spousal defense for sex crimes and sodomy laws with the reintroduction of legislation this session.
Written by Jeff Barnes, The Washington Post
Lawmakers on Jan. 30 expect to hear Senate bill 230, which would repeal the use of marriage as a defense to prosecution of some sex crimes and, earlier this week, introduced House bill 81, which would repeal the crimes of sodomy and unnatural or perverted sexual practice.
Under current state law, a person may not be prosecuted for first- or second-degree rape or third- and fourth-degree sexual offenses if the victim is the legal spouse of the assailant at the time of the offense.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. Susan Lee, D-Montgomery, told Capital News Service that she thinks current law treats a spouse as property.
“It’s really disrespectful, it’s wrong and it’s antiquated,” Lee said.
By 1993, all states and Washington, D.C. had laws against marital rape. In many states such as Maryland, however, certain loopholes still exist in sexual assault laws.
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