# Has a Woman ever been convicted of rape? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713 "2003-02-08T15:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gjorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@Gjorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gjorp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/1 "2003-02-08T15:55:43Z")
With the current legal definition, it seems possible. As long as the man doesn’t soberly consent. So, if the man was drunk, and the woman takes advantage of him, it’s legally rape. The thing is, it seems that it would be impossible for most people to be able to rap their mind around the idea of a man being raped by a woman. So, has a woman ever been convicted of rape? And what’s the case when both are drunk? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/2 "2003-02-08T16:13:58Z")
[Yep.](http://www.fathermag.com/news/rape/spokane.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/3 "2003-02-08T16:26:29Z")
It probably happens more often than you would think, but (not to sound sexist–apologies if it does) what man wants to admit that he was raped by a woman? It’s may be more common for a man to rape a man in certon environments (prison for example?) but again, with all the stigma associated with being raped, I think men are much more unlikely to admit to being raped. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/4 "2003-02-08T16:48:41Z")
Sure, although I don’t have any direct cites. A gun can make a guy perform. What guy would not want to perform looking at the barrel of a gun? ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/5 "2003-02-08T16:50:49Z")
Many women have been convicted of different types of rapes. The most common is some type of gang or mob activity in which another female is gang-raped by females using objects, usually as a punishment for something that they have done. There are also many cases of women assisting men in raping a woman and being actual participants. I’ve read a fascinating study on the psychology of these types of relationships. I know of only one case in which a single woman raped another woman, where the suspect just picked the victim, with no prior relationship of any kind, in much the same way that a male rapist might do. On the question of one or both parties being drunk: for a conviction of rape, we _generally_ have to prove that the victim was so drunk that they were incapable of giving consent to sex. I can tell you from experience, that is a very difficult thing to prove. Just getting someone drunk enough to lower his or her inhibitions shouldn’t be enough to allow for a conviction of rape. Of course, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/6 "2003-02-08T16:51:10Z")
Q.E.D, the story of Theresa S seems to indicate that her victim was burned, cut, tied up and assaulted, in the circumstances, I’m thinking that the rape she committed would probably have been anal rape. Most of the other women charged with rape were convicted of child abuse, and statutory rape. Are there cases where a woman commits coital rape (rather than anal rape) on an adult male partner? I don’t doubt that it occurs, but was wondering if it’s ever been brought to trial under that charge, rather than say, sexual harassment, gross indecncy or sexual assault. I’m not in any way suggesting that anal rape is less terrible (in many ways it’s more so), but I’d like a clearer answer to the OP. sorry, nitpick over. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/7 "2003-02-08T16:58:45Z")
I’m assuming you are defining “rape” as forceable sex using, or threatening to use violence. Wisconsin has no rape statute, everything like that is classified as sexual assualt. Under the sexual assualt laws, it’s very easy for a woman to “rape” someone simply by age difference. In fact, [in the town I grew up in](http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/jan03/112720.asp) a teacher is in trouble for just that! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/8 "2003-02-08T17:18:18Z")
**pkbites,** That Milwaukee story is calling it “rape” only because of the male’s age. If he had been a year older, it would not have been a crime: > [@](#): > > The 17-year-old told investigators he was in love with Paulsrud and that they were going to move to Colorado after he turned 18, according to the complaint. > > The student also said he “believes the defendant loves him . . . and that the intercourse was consensual and the defendant did not force or threaten him,” the complaint says. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/9 "2003-02-08T17:27:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Sure, although I don’t have any direct cites. A gun can make a guy perform. What guy would not want to perform looking at the barrel of a gun? \*\* Who’s talkin’ guns? Ever hear of [Mary K. Leteourno](http://www.fathermag.com/news/rape/burien3.shtml)? (sp?) ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/10 "2003-02-08T17:43:17Z")
I had thought that if a person was intoxicated, they legally cannot consent to sex. Same thing if they were alseep. I would figure this applies for men AND women. ---
**Author:** ![Slugworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/11 "2003-02-08T18:02:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Sure, although I don’t have any direct cites. A gun can make a guy perform. What guy would not want to perform looking at the barrel of a gun? \*\* I have to imagine that’s the kind of pressure which would make a guy _not able_ to perform. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/12 "2003-02-08T18:19:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > \*\ ***pkbites,** That Milwaukee story is calling it “rape” only because of the male’s age. If he had been a year older, it would not have been a crime: \*\* That’s what I was taking about. “Rape” in this case is just an adverb as it has no legal meaning. My point was when the Op is refering to “RAPE” they’re refering to the forceable act, not just the act itself. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/13 "2003-02-08T19:07:00Z")
I’ve never heard of it happening (yet), but now there are drugs- injected into the penis :eek: -that cause involuntary erection. So that’s one way it could happen. Another would be a woman drugging a man so that he was not in a state to give voluntary consent. You know, under most laws in the US today, if a female rapist succeeded in getting pregnant, even if she had to jam a shock rod up the guy’s rectum to get an ejeculation, the man would be liable for child support. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/14 "2003-02-08T19:46:49Z")
irishgirl: Several years ago, I read of a case where several women abducted a truckdriver, tied him to a bed, held a knife to his point, and forced him to have sex with them. Cannot remember where I read this, except that it was not a pornography page, so I don’t have any cites. ---
**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/15 "2003-02-08T21:11:51Z")
> [@](#): > > several women abducted a truckdriver, tied him to a bed, _held a knife to his **point** _, and forced him to have sex with them. Which point would that be? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/16 "2003-02-08T22:38:44Z")
Here is one, big story at the time. [http://www.loadofold.com/trash/mckinney.html](http://www.loadofold.com/trash/mckinney.html) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/17 "2003-02-08T23:00:30Z")
Who say’s the man has to “perform”? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/18 "2003-02-09T01:59:01Z")
As a principal in the second degree, yes. If the woman solicits (i.e. encourages the perpetrator) to rape a woman, her solicitation of rape merges with the target offense when the rape is committed, and she is guilty as a principal in the second degree. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-woman-ever-been-convicted-of-rape/153713/19 "2003-02-09T04:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*Who say’s the man has to “perform”? > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* The OP is asking if a woman could be convicted of raping a man. What I meant is would a man have to achieve an erection and ejaculate to be a victim of rape by a woman? Sure, many men have had fantasies. But I wonder what we would if it were real.