Q: What is the doctrine of recent complaint?
A: The Doctrine of recent complaint is a legal principle whereby sexually assaulted women had to report the rape at the first reasonable opportunity or it was inferred that the offence had never taken place. A "legitimate victim", it was argued, would report such a crime to the first person encountered.
This principle has been abrogated in many territories because it has been argued that a traumautised woman would not want to spread the news of her rape to anyone, for fear of being ridiculed.
A: The Doctrine of recent complaint is a legal principle whereby sexually assaulted women had to report the rape at the first reasonable opportunity or it was inferred that the offence had never taken place. A "legitimate victim", it was argued, would report such a crime to the first person encountered.
This principle has been abrogated in many territories because it has been argued that a traumautised woman would not want to spread the news of her rape to anyone, for fear of being ridiculed.
