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2022-2023 Student Handbook 
    
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2022-2023 Student Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Title IX: Jurisdictional Definitions of Consent, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Incest, Rape, Sexual Assault, and Stalking

Return to: Title IX: Table of Contents  

 

Consent

The State of Delaware defines consent, in relation to sexual activity, with a “without consent” definition as follows:

“Without consent” means:

  1. The defendant compelled the victim to submit by any act of coercion as defined in §§ 791 and 792 of this title, or by force, by gesture, or by threat of death, physical injury, pain or kidnapping to be inflicted upon the victim or a third party, or by any other means which would compel a reasonable person under the circumstances to submit. It is not required that the victim resist such force or threat to the utmost, or to resist if resistance would be futile or foolhardy, but the victim need resist only to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to make the victim’s refusal to consent known to the defendant; or
  2. The defendant knew that the victim was unconscious, asleep or otherwise unaware that a sexual act was being performed; or
  3. The defendant knew that the victim suffered from a cognitive disability, mental illness or mental defect which rendered the victim incapable of appraising the nature of the sexual conduct or incapable of consenting; or
  4. Where the defendant is a health professional, as defined herein, or a minister, priest, rabbi or other member of a religious organization engaged in pastoral counseling, the commission of acts of sexual contact, sexual penetration or sexual intercourse by such person shall be deemed to be without consent of the victim where such acts are committed under the guise of providing professional diagnosis, counseling or treatment and where at the times of such acts the victim reasonably believed the acts were for medically or professionally appropriate diagnosis, counseling or treatment, such that resistance by the victim could not reasonably have been manifested. For purposes of this paragraph, “health professional” includes all individuals who are licensed or who hold themselves out to be licensed or who otherwise provide professional physical or mental health services, diagnosis, treatment or counseling and shall include, but not be limited to, doctors of medicine and osteopathy, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, chiropractors, psychologists, social workers, medical technicians, mental health counselors, substance abuse counselors, marriage and family counselors or therapists and hypnotherapists; or
  5. The defendant had substantially impaired the victim’s power to appraise or control the victim’s own conduct by administering or employing without the other person’s knowledge or against the other person’s will, drugs, intoxicants or other means for the purpose of preventing resistance.
  6. A child who has not yet reached that child’s sixteenth birthday is deemed unable to consent to a sexual act with a person more than 4 years older than said child. Children who have not yet reached their twelfth birthday are deemed unable to consent to a sexual act under any circumstances.

Dating Violence

The State of Delaware defines dating violence as part of Domestic Violence.
 

Domestic Violence

The State of Delaware defines domestic violence as follows:
 

“Domestic violence” means abuse perpetrated by 1 member against another member of the following protected classes:

  1. Family, as that term is defined in § 901(12) of this title (Title 10), regardless, however, of state of residence of the parties, or whether parental rights have been terminated; or
  2. Former spouses; persons cohabitating together who are holding themselves out as a couple, with or without a child in common; persons living separate and apart with a child in common; or persons in a current or former substantive dating relationship. For purposes of this paragraph, neither a casual acquaintanceship nor ordinary fraternization between 2 individuals in business or social contexts shall be deemed to constitute a substantive dating relationship. Factors to consider for a substantive dating relationship may include the length of the relationship, or the type of relationship, or the frequency of interaction between the parties.

 

Incest

The State of Delaware defines incest as follows:

  1. A person is guilty of incest if the person engages in sexual intercourse with another person with whom the person has 1 of the following relationships:

A male and his child.
A male and his parent.
A male and his brother.
A male and his sister.
A male and his grandchild.
A male and his niece or nephew.
A male and his father’s sister or brother.
A male and his mother’s sister or brother.
A male and his father’s wife.
A male and his wife’s child.
A male and the child of his wife’s son or daughter.
A female and her parent.
A female and her child.
A female and her brother.
A female and her sister.
A female and her grandchild.
A female and her niece or nephew.
A female and her father’s sister or brother.
A female and her mother’s sister or brother.
A female and her mother’s husband.
A female and her husband’s child.
A female and the child of her husband’s son or daughter.

  1. The relationships referred to herein include blood relationships without regard to legitimacy and relationships by adoption.

 

Incest is a class A misdemeanor and is an offense within the original jurisdiction of the Family Court.

 

Rape

The State of Delaware Defines rape as follows:

Rape in the Fourth Degree:

  1.  A person is guilty of rape in the fourth degree when the person:
    1. Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the victim has not yet reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday; or
    2. Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the victim has not yet reached that victim’s eighteenth birthday, and the person is 30 years of age or older, except that such intercourse shall not be unlawful if the victim and person are married at the time of such intercourse; or
    3. Intentionally engages in sexual penetration with another person under any of the following circumstances:
      1. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim’s consent; or
      2. The victim has not reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday.
    4. [Repealed]
  2. Paragraph (a)(3) of this section does not apply to a licensed medical doctor or nurse who places 1 or more fingers or an object inside a vagina or anus for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment or to a law-enforcement officer who is engaged in the lawful performance of his or her duties.

Rape in the fourth degree is a class C felony.

 

Rape in the Third Degree:

  1. A person is guilty of rape in the third degree when the person:
    1. Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the victim has not reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday and the person is at least 10 years older than the victim, or the victim has not yet reached that victim’s fourteenth birthday and the person has reached that person’s nineteenth birthday and is not otherwise subject to prosecution pursuant to § 772 or § 773 of this title; or
    2. Intentionally engages in sexual penetration with another person under any of the following circumstances:
      1. The victim has not reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes physical injury or serious mental or emotional injury to the victim.
      2. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim’s consent and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes physical injury or serious mental or emotional injury to the victim; or
    3. [Repealed.]
  2. Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply to a licensed medical doctor or nurse who places 1 or more fingers or an object inside a vagina or anus for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment, or to a law-enforcement officer who is engaged in the lawful performance of his or her duties.
  3. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in any case in which a violation of subsection (a) of this section has resulted in the birth of a child who is in the custody and care of the victim or the victim’s legal guardian or guardians, the court shall order that the defendant, as a condition of any probation imposed pursuant to a conviction under this section, timely pay any child support ordered by the Family Court for such child.
  4. Nothing in this section shall preclude a separate charge, conviction and sentence for any other crime set forth in this title, or in the Delaware Code.

 

Rape in the third degree is a class B felony.

 

Rape in the Second Degree:

  1. A person is guilty of rape in the second degree when the person:
    1. Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the intercourse occurs without the victim’s consent; or
    2. Intentionally engages in sexual penetration with another person under any of the following circumstances:
      1. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim’s consent and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight following the commission of the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes serious physical injury to the victim; or
      2. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim’s consent, and was facilitated by or occurred during the course of the commission or attempted commission of:
        1. Any felony; or
        2. Any of the following misdemeanors: reckless endangering in the second degree; assault in the third degree; terroristic threatening; unlawfully administering drugs; unlawful imprisonment in the second degree; coercion or criminal trespass in the first, second or third degree; or
      3. The victim has not yet reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes serious physical injury to the victim; or
      4. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim’s consent and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person displays what appears to be a deadly weapon or represents by word or conduct that the person is in possession or control of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or
      5. The victim has not yet reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person displays what appears to be a deadly weapon or represents by word or conduct that the person is in possession or control of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or
      6. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim’s consent, and a principal-accomplice relationship within the meaning set forth in § 271 of this title existed between the defendant and another person or persons with respect to the commission of the crime; or
      7. The victim has not yet reached that victim’s twelfth birthday, and the defendant has reached that defendant’s eighteenth birthday.
      8. [Repealed.]

 

  1. Nothing in this section shall preclude a separate charge, conviction and sentence for any other crime set forth in this title, or in the Delaware Code.
  2. Notwithstanding any provision of this title to the contrary, the minimum sentence for a person convicted of rape in the second degree in violation of this section shall be 10 years at Level V.

 

Rape in the second is a class B felony.

 

Rape in the First Degree:

  1. A person is guilty of rape in the first degree when the person intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person and any of the following circumstances exist:
    1. The sexual intercourse occurs without the victim’s consent and during the commission of the crime, or during the immediate flight following the commission of the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes physical injury or serious mental or emotional injury to the victim; or
    2. The sexual intercourse occurs without the victim’s consent and it was facilitated by or occurred during the course of the commission or attempted commission of:
      1. Any felony; or
      2. Any of the following misdemeanors: reckless endangering in the second degree; assault in the third degree; terroristic threatening; unlawfully administering drugs; unlawful imprisonment in the second degree; coercion; or criminal trespass in the first, second or third degree; or
    3. In the course of the commission of rape in the second, third or fourth degree, or while in the immediate flight therefrom, the defendant displayed what appeared to be a deadly weapon or represents by word or conduct that the person is in possession or control of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or
    4. The sexual intercourse occurs without the victim’s consent, and a principal-accomplice relationship within the meaning set forth in § 271 of this title existed between the defendant and another person or persons with respect to the commission of the crime; or
    5. The victim has not yet reached that victim’s twelfth birthday, and the defendant has reached that defendant’s eighteenth birthday.
    6. [Repealed.]
  2. Nothing contained in this section shall preclude a separate charge, conviction and sentence for any other crime set forth in this title, or in the Delaware Code.
  3. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a person convicted of rape in the first degree shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without benefit of probation, parole or any other reduction if:
    1. The victim had not yet reached that victim’s sixteenth birthday at the time of the offense and the person inflicts serious physical injury on the victim; or
    2. The person intentionally causes serious and prolonged disfigurement to the victim permanently, or intentionally destroys, amputates or permanently disables a member or organ of the victim’s body; or
    3. The person is convicted of rape against 3 or more separate victims; or
    4. The person has previously been convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse in the first degree, rape in the second degree or rape in the first degree, or any equivalent offense under the laws of this State, any other state or the United States.

 

Rape in the first degree is a class A. felony.

 

Sexual Assault

The State of Delaware defines sexual assault as follows:
 

Sexual Assault in the Third Degree: person is guilty of unlawful sexual contact in the third degree when the person has sexual contact with another person or causes the victim to have sexual contact with the person or a third person and the person knows that the contact is either offensive to the victim or occurs without the victim’s consent.

Sexual Assault in the Second Degree: person is guilty of unlawful sexual contact in the second degree when the person intentionally has sexual contact with another person who is less than 18 years of age or causes the victim to have sexual contact with the person or a third person.

Sexual Assault in the First Degree: person is guilty of unlawful sexual contact in the first degree when:

  1. In the course of committing unlawful sexual contact in the third degree or in the course of committing unlawful sexual contact in the second degree, or during the immediate flight from the crime, or during an attempt to prevent the reporting of the crime, the person causes physical injury to the victim or the person displays what appears to be a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or represents by word or conduct that the person is in possession or control of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.
  2. The person intentionally has sexual contact with another person who is less than 13 years of age or causes the victim to have sexual contact with the person or a third person.
     

Stalking

The State of Delaware defines stalking as follows:


A person is guilty of stalking when the person knowingly engages in a course of conduct directed at a specific person and that conduct would cause a reasonable person to:

  1. Fear physical injury to himself or herself or that of another person; or
  2. Suffer other significant mental anguish or distress that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.