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Minnesota Supreme Court Reverses Rape Conviction Because Survivor Had Been Drinking

HeadlineMar 29, 2021

The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously overturned a man’s rape conviction, ruling he cannot be found guilty because the woman who accused him had voluntarily consumed alcohol before the rape. At the center of the ruling is a Minnesota law that states a person is only considered “mentally incapacitated” and unable to consent to sex if they’ve been given alcohol or other substances against their will. Sexual assault survivors and advocates say the ruling demonstrates the urgent need to update state laws.

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