Department Of Justice Announces Updated Definition Of Rape

Since 1927, the Department of Justice has used an unchanged and narrow definition of rape in data collection. Friday, the Department of Justice announced an updated definition, sending “an important message to all victims that what happens to them matters, and to perpetrators that they will be held accountable.” The definition is no longer limited to “forcible rape” of a male against a female; it now accounts for a variety of acts, regardless of the gender or either party, and for a lack of consent rather than only use of force.