A West Virginia bill to remove marital exemption for sexual abuse wins final passage

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Certain sexual assaults against a spouse would be criminalized in West Virginia for the first time under a bill passed by the House of Delegates. The bill would remove marriage as a defense to first- and third-degree sexual assault. The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Jim Justice. There are two crimes of sexual violence outlined in West Virginia code. One is penetrative assault and the other is the forcible touching of a person’s sexual organs, breasts, and some other areas by another person. For the latter offense, there exists a martial exemption that shields a person from conviction if the crime is perpetrated against their spouse.