spousal rape

After decades of work, Ohio House removes spousal exemption for rape charges

BY: - November 30, 2023

The Ohio House gathered Wednesday to vote on a handful of bills including a long-awaited measure to eliminate the spousal exception for rape. House lawmakers also took up measures allowing virtual public hearings, elevating offenses against referees and adding organ donation to hunting or fishing licenses. But all in all, it was a relatively slow […]

Ohio lawmakers attempt — again — to make it illegal to drug and rape spouse

BY: - October 25, 2023

In some cases, raping your spouse is still legal in Ohio. However, a bipartisan bill to eliminate the spousal rape exception, one without opponents but stalls each and every time it is proposed, is finally moving forward. It’s the tenth year that Emily Gemar with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence has been working […]

Spousal rape loophole continues in Ohio, despite years of bipartisan support

BY: - May 25, 2023

Members of Ohio’s General Assembly have tried to close a loophole that protects spouses from being charged with sex offenses for years without success. Bipartisan sponsors have once again introduced a bill that would eliminate exceptions for spouses in cases of rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, gross sexual imposition and sexual […]

Bill to criminalize spousal rape in Ohio has no opponents, so why can’t it pass?

BY: - April 21, 2022

The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.   About a third of sexual assaults are committed by a current […]

Marriage shouldn’t negate rape, bill supporters say

BY: - May 28, 2021

Supporters of a bill removing a loophole for spousal rape and sexual assault say the state needs to stop the double-standard that exists when it comes to sex crimes. Heather McComas-Harrison said she spoke from experience when imploring a House committee on Thursday to pass House Bill 121, to remove language in Ohio law that […]

Statute of limitations on rape targeted again in legislation

BY: - May 4, 2021

Two Democrats want to expand the statute of limitations on rape cases, legislation that has entered the Statehouse several times before, to no avail. State Reps. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron, and Jessica Miranda, D-Forest Park, re-introduced legislation regarding the statute of limitations for criminal and civil and sex crimes, with their bill eliminating any time limit […]

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Bill on rape statutes addresses marital rape loophole

BY: - December 12, 2019

With bipartisan support on the issue of removing the statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault in Ohio, legislators are hoping a bill recently introduced in the state Senate would also remove a loophole involving marital rights. Senate Bill 162 seeks to remove the statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault, which currently […]