SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Lawmakers are working on bills to close loopholes in Illinois sexual assault laws.
One measure, sponsored by Rep. Katie Stuart of Collinsville, is based on a case in another state.
A young woman unknowingly slept with a man who pretended to be her boyfriend. He was charged and later acquitted.
“Because the laws did not cover sexual assault by deception. She was considered to have given consent because she thought it was a different person,” Stuart said.
Stuart added, “It’s no wonder that we don’t know how many survivors of sexual assault there really are, because laws like this are why lots of survivors don’t come forward.
Stuart’s bill makes sexual assault by deception a felony crime in Illinois.
Another piece of legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mark Walker of Arlington Heights, was prompted by the case of one of his constituents.
The woman got drunk, blacked out and was raped. Her attacker was never charged because she drank the alcohol on her own.
“The absurdity of that to me is just stunning. An unconscious person raped, and it’s not a crime because she drank, as opposed to have secretly been given a pill,” Walker said.
Both measures have passed the Illinois House and await a vote in the State Senate.
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