via BBC News
The FBI has updated its definition of rape for the first time in 83 years, to include men and those who do not physically resist as victims.
The new definition will increase the number of people counted as rape victims in FBI statistics, but it will not change federal or state laws.
Lawmakers use those statistics to allocate resources for prevention and victim assistance.
Previously, the FBI defined the crime of rape as “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will”.
The new definition removes the reference to females and says rape is “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object” without the consent of the victim.
Also specified is “oral penetration by a sex organ of another person” without consent.
Vice-President Joe Biden, who raised the issue last July at a Cabinet meeting, called the change a victory for those “whose suffering has gone unaccounted for over 80 years”.
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Article courtesy bbc.co.uk
