New Hampshire Rape and Sexual Assault Laws
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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In New Hampshire, rape is criminalized under the state's sexual assault laws. Sexual assault is broken down into three different crimes in New Hampshire: aggravated felonious sexual assault, felonious sexual assault, and sexual assault. The severity of the attack and the circumstances surrounding the assault determines which statute an offender can be prosecuted under.
Code Section |
New Hampshire Revised Statutes section 632-A:2: Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault |
What's Prohibited? |
Sexual Penetration: Engaging in sexual penetration with another person when:
Ways to commit sexual assault without penetration:
|
Code Section |
New Hampshire Revised Statutes section 632-A:3: Felonious Sexual Assault |
What's Prohibited? |
|
Code Section |
New Hampshire Revised Statutes section 632-A:4: Sexual Assault |
What's Prohibited? |
|
Definitions
Sexual contact: The intentional touching (whether directly, through clothing, or otherwise) of the victim's or actor's sexual or intimate parts, including emissions, tongue, anus, breasts, and buttocks. Only contact that can be reasonably construed as being made for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification can be considered to be sexual contact.
Sexual Penetration: Sexual penetration means:
- Sexual intercourse
- Cunnilingus
- Fellatio
- Anal intercourse
- Any intrusion of the actor's body (or an object manipulated by the offender) into the genital or anal openings of the victim's body
- Any intrusion of the victim's body (or an object manipulated by the victim) into the oral, genital, or anal openings of the offender's body, or
- Any act which forces, coerces, or intimidates the victim to perform any sexual act listed above on the offender, another person, or on himself
Domestic Violence
If sexual assault occurs between intimate partners, family, or household members, then the crime of sexual assault-domestic violence has been committed,
Additional Resources
State laws change frequently. For case specific information regarding New Hampshire's rape and sexual assault laws contact a local sex crime lawyer.
Can I Solve This on My Own or Do I Need an Attorney?
- Complex cases usually require a lawyer
- Experienced lawyers can seek to reduce or eliminate criminal penalties
- Sexual assaults & sex crime convictions often have long sentences and lifelong consequences
Get tailored legal advice and ask a lawyer questions. Many attorneys offer free consultations.
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