US redefines rape to include men as victims

WASHINGTON (AP) - January 7, 2012

The new definition counts men as victims for the first time and drops the requirement that victims must have physically resisted their attackers.

The change will increase the number of people counted as rape victims in FBI statistics but will not will not change federal or state laws or alter charges or prosecutions. It's an important shift because lawmakers and policymakers use crime statistics to allocate money and other resources for prevention and victim assistance.

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.