BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into legislation on Tuesday a protection for those who have experienced rape.
The new legislation will ensure that those forcing sexual conduct upon an individual can be prosecuted as rape.
“We are reassuring survivors that when they walk into a police station or approach the witness stand that the full weight of the law is behind them now going forward,” Governor Hochul said. “Rape will be treated like the horrific crime that it is. The voices have been heard, and we affirm that justice will be served.”
Known as the "Rape is Rape" Bill the new legislation will remove the penetration requirement from the rape statutes, and defines rape as vaginal sexual contact, oral sexual contact, and anal sexual contact. Prior to the new legislation the existing statue excluded oral and anal rape from being called rape and required a higher standard for vaginal rape.
State Senator Brad Holyman-Sigal said, “Rape is Rape, plain and simple. In New York State we cannot allow outdated, heteronormative notions of sex to limit our ability to acknowledge that fact and to hold those who commit acts of sexual violence accountable. I applaud Governor Hochul for signing our bill (S8008), and now our chapter amendments, to expand the definition of rape to include not only vaginal penetration, but also acts of oral, anal, and vaginal contact. This update to the law will make it easier to hold perpetrators of sex crimes accountable and will be particularly important in helping to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community, who are victims of rape and sexual assault at higher rates than cis-gendered heterosexual Americans. Thank you to Assemblymember Cruz for fighting for this change in the Assembly and thank you to Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for making this bill a priority in the Senate. I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to Lydia Cuomo, the brave survivor, whose activism, and perseverance, spurred this much needed change.”
To learn more visit www.governor.ny.gov
