criminal sexual conduct

Sexual battery is defined and classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor under the Code of Virginia. A person commits this offense if they sexually abuse another individual by force or intimidation, without consent, if they engage in sexual abuse against one person more than once, or against multiple people within a two-year period, or if they commit sexual abuse while holding a position of authority over the victim. Sexual abuse includes acts of molestation, arousal, or gratification through intentional touching of a victim’s intimate parts or of material covering those parts.

Connecticut’s Penal Code defines a comprehensive hierarchy of sexual offenses under §§ 53a-70 through 53a-81, reflecting distinctions based on the nature of the act, use of force, age of the victim, and aggravating circumstances. Section 53a-70 establishes sexual assault in the first degree, the most serious general sexual offense, applying when

Thomas Dittrich was accused of having a three-month relationship with his daughter’s thirteen-year-old classmate, the complainant-victim. The relationship began when the complainant went to Dittrich’s house to visit his daughter, and quickly progressed into an intimate relationship.

Article 134 of the Belgian Penal Code criminalizes sexual assault, defined as non-consensual sexual acts or forcing someone to witness such acts. The penalty is 3 to 5 years in prison. Rape is separately criminalized under Article 138, punishable by 5 to 10 years. Articles 139–150 provide aggravated penalties where severe circumstances occur (serious violence, torture, confinement, weapons, death, or vulnerable/minor victims).

Law No. 21,523/2022 introduced reforms to the Penal Code and other legal provisions aimed at strengthening the protection of victims of sexual crimes in Chile. The law modified rules on the statute of limitations for certain sexual crimes and restricted the applicability of some mitigating circumstances. It also requires judges to take into account the psychological impact on the victim when determining sentences.

Section 375 of the Penal Code (Act 574) defines the offence of rape.