Rape is a horrific act that doesn’t always result in victory for the victims to see their attackers in prison. Although sexual assault has justice more so now than ever, there are still head-scratching loopholes that make me sick to my stomach. When searching for incidents in which these loopholes occur, I came across an article in The Guardian that shared a disturbing case that involved a victim of North Carolina’s law regarding sexual assault. The law states that: “In North Carolina, a person cannot withdraw consent for sex once intercourse is taking place. Because of a 1979 state supreme court ruling that has never been overturned, continuing to have sex with someone who consented then backed out isn’t considered to be rape.” Not only does this law make my jaw drop, it makes me realize that society in its entirety does not view the action of non-consensual penetration as a prison-worthy issue; today there are marches and protest against sexual assault, but what good does that do when cases such as this one are swept under the rug due to a sickening law?
As seen on a Netflix documentary and stories on the internet, Universities even tend to turn their backs on victims when sexual assault takes place on their grounds. Awareness is the first step; repeated action until justice is the second. I believe that eventually, North Carolina will repeal this absurd law, and loopholes will no longer be an option. Attackers should not be allowed to walk freely; society needs to condemn the criminals rather than second guess the victims.
