Involuntarily removing the condom during intercourse – an act known as “sneaking”– will be criminalized in South Australia, and those found guilty face sentences of up to life imprisonmentreports ABC Australia.
The upper house of the South Australian parliament this week passed a bill to ban the practice, which is said to be carried out against one in three women, and is now expected to be passed in the lower house with the support of the government.
Rep. Connie Bonaros described the theft as a “disgusting and despicable act of treason” and said her private bill would ensure it was handled properly by police and the courts.
“It should have been criminalized years ago,” Bonaros said in a statement compared theft to rapeand are threatened with “prison sentences”.
One in three women is a victim of theft
ABC Australia cites a 2018 Monash University study which found that more than 2,000 people surveyed, one in three women and one in five men who have sex with men, had been victims of theft.
“Under the new law, removing a condom during intercourse without the other person’s consent will now be a crime punishable by life imprisonment,” Bonaros said.
The South Australian government has pledged to support Bonaros’ proposed legislation.
“[Este proyecto de ley] will expressly ensure that theft is covered by our criminal law and that people who practice it can be charged sexual crimes“, said Attorney General Kyam Maher, reports the newspaper.
“There have been many calls from advocates to criminalize it in state law to ensure that it is specifically considered as such. Other states have moved in this direction: Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have already passed legislation.”
The situation in other countries
Last year, California made it a crime in the Civil Code to remove a condom without a partner’s consent. Since then, another form sexual assault. Thus, it became the first state in the American Union to take such a measure.
Lawmakers in Chile decided to follow California’s example and introduced a project to make this practice illegal.
With agency data
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