Rape is defined as the act of forcing a woman or girl to have sexual intercourse against her will, or of buggering a man or boy against his will. The ancient Jews, Romans and Goths punished rape with death. During the reign of William I rape was punishable by mutilation and having the eyes removed. This punishment was mitigated by the statute of Westminster in 1274. In 1338 rape was made a felony in Britain, being made punishable by transportation in 1841 and penal servitude for life or a lesser period in 1861. The causes of what leads a person (usually a man, although sometimes women are committed as accessories to rape) to commit a rape are unclear. Some people advocate that it is not about sexual pleasure at all, but about power. But this simplistic explanation does not take into consideration the crime of 'date rape' where by a victim is raped following a date with her assailant. Nor does it take into consideration victims being forced into having sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol, many of which incidents are never reported, but are most likely perpetrated for sexual pleasure. Research Rape
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Research Rape