The latest draft of the Penal Code bill considers rape as a crime when it is carried out by someone other than the spouse. PRSC senator Ramon Rogelio Genao’s remarks defending marital rape on Matinal (Channel 5) became the trending topic for the day. The comments were made when he was interviewed after the penalties for marital rape were significantly reduced in the version of the Penal Code that resulted from the Dominicus Beach resort working session.
A clause dating back to the 1997 Penal Code had criminalized marital rape in the Penal Code and penalized non-consensual sex with up to 10 years in jail. Now, the committee that is studying the code wants to reduce the charges to six months to one year in jail if a spouse is involved. The ruling PRM party is majority in the committee.
Those critical of the revision say that the amendment incorporated in the draft backs those that understand that a woman is her spouse’s property and the dangerous notion that a preexisting relationship means irrevocable consent.
The president of the Justice Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and member of the bicameral committee that is studying the amendment of the Penal Code, Alexis Jimenez, had said on Monday, 11 October 2021 that it was not true that the bill reduced the penalty for rape.
The congressman’s reaction came after Senator Antonio Taveras Guzman (Santo Domingo) denounced that the committee had reduced the prison time for rape when the act occurred between couples.
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Somos Pueblo
15 October 2021