In Connecticut, all criminal acts of sexual violence are defined as sexual assault.
For example, while the term “rape” may be commonly used in conversation, it is not in the CT penal code.
In Connecticut, different degrees of sexual assault include sexual violence.
Examples of Sexual Violence in Connecticut
- Sexual contact with intimate parts of the body which include the breasts, buttocks, genitals, and inner thigh without the person’s consent; through use of force, coercion, or fraud; or if the person is mentally or physically incapacitated.
- Sexual intercourse, which includes penetration, however slight, of the anus, vagina, or mouth with a sexual organ, another body part, or an object without the person’s consent; through the use of force, coercion, or fraud; or if the person is mentally or physically incapacitated.
- Sexual activity of any kind, even non-touching acts, with someone under the age of 16, which is the age of consent in Connecticut, when the person is under 13 and the actor is more than two years older (2 years and a day) or the person is between the ages of 13 and 16 and the actor is more than 3 years older (3 years and a day) or the person is under age 20 and the actor is the person’s boss or supervisor.
Sexual harassment happens when a person makes unwanted or unwelcome sexual remarks or actions and/or physical advances toward another person in the workplace or other social situations. The state of Connecticut does not have specific criminal statutes for sexual harassment. Connecticut only has criminal statutes for sexual assault crimes and harassment crimes, which are listed above.
With regard to the statute of limitations, “In Connecticut, the criminal statute of limitations for sexual assault depends on the particular crime charged, the victim’s age, and whether there is DNA evidence. The civil statute of limitations depends on the victim’s age, and in some cases, whether the offender was convicted of criminal sexual assault.”
Learn more about the statute of limitations for Class A felonies, sexual assault of a minor, other felonies, misdemeanor 4th-degree sexual assault, and other crimes at https://www.cga.ct.gov/2020/rpt/pdf/2020-R-0007.pdf
