Local
Ohio bill would lift marital exemptions and statute of limitations on rape
COLUMBUS, OH — According to Cleveland.com, Ohio General Assembly Democrats are introducing legislation to remove the statute of limitations for sex crimes, after Gov. Mike DeWine and other leaders have said it needs to be abolished.
In April, Ohio State Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) introduced an amendment during the House’s Wednesday session to close the loopholes that make some forms of spousal rape legal.
The amendment, which would have amended the Heartbeat Abortion bill to outlaw spousal rape, was tabled and not added to the legislation by a vote of 58-38, mostly on party lines.
The new legislation introduced this week by Ohio General Assembly Democrats would also eliminate spousal exemptions to rape, sexual battery and other sexual offenses.
According to The Plain-Dealer, “it’s unknown whether Ohio House and Senate Republicans will be on board. The GOP holds a supermajority in both chambers and its support is necessary for any bill to become law.”
For that matter, it’s unknown if our own State Rep. Bill Reineke will be on board – even after many of his constituents called his previous vote “disgusting.”
Marital rape as currently defined in the Ohio Revised Code is illegal and punishable as a felony. Under that definition, rape occurs when a defendant compels a spouse to engage in sexual intercourse against the victim’s will by “force, threat of force, or deception.”
