Donate

After Criticism, FBI May Change Federal Definition of Rape

The Takeaway

    Last year, according to  The New York Times, the city of Chicago recorded nearly 1,400 rapes. But none of these appeared in the FBI’s annual federal crime report. That’s because the FBI doesn’t accept Chicago’s definition of what constitutes “rape.” And it’s not just Chicago. The annual figures from cities and municipalities across the country are understated every year in the FBI’s yearly Uniform Crime Report due to how the Bureau defines the crime.
    Last year, according to our partner the New York Times, the city of Chicago recorded nearly 1,400 rapes. But none of these appeared in the FBI’s annual federal crime report. That’s because the F-B-I doesn’t accept Chicago’s definition of what constitutes “rape.”  

    And it’s not just Chicago. The annual figures from cities and municipalities across the country are understated every year in the F-B-I’s yearly Uniform Crime Report due to how the Bureau defines the crime. It’s a definition that was written more than 80 years ago.

    But after years of criticism from women’s rights advocates.. the F-B-I is proposing a revision to the federal definition of rape. The change would lead to a significant increase in the number of sexual assault crimes reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies across the country.  

    Joining us now to talk about all of this is Carol Tracy. She’s the Executive director of the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia and she’s been leading the effort for a new, broader federal definition of rape for years. It’s a definition that was written more than 80 years ago. But after years of criticism from women’s rights advocates the FBI is proposing a revision to the federal definition of rape. The change would lead to a significant increase in the number of sexual assault crimes reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies across the country.
    Carol Tracy is the executive director of the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia and she’s been leading the effort for a new, broader federal definition of rape for years.

    Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

    Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

    Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!