RALEIGH, N.C. -- There's a push at the legislature to fix problems with some of our laws on sexual assault.
- Sponsors hope to close loopholes in laws dealing with sexual assaults
- It’s already illegal to add a drug or poison to food in our state
- This bill would add beverages
Friday, Leah McGuirk backed the new bill aimed at strengthening laws for sexual assault victims.
"Last year, it took less than one drink for me when I was at a highly-rated Charlotte establishment for me to fall on the ground, have a seizure, and lose consciousness," she said. “I discovered that in my state, the state of North Carolina, I wasn’t technically a victim because I hadn’t been sexually or physically assaulted afterwords, only chemically assaulted with this drug [that] could have ended up killing me if the predator had given me an incorrect dosage.”
Sponsors hope to close loopholes in laws dealing with sexual assaults. While it’s already illegal to add a drug or poison to food in our state, this bill would add beverages. The legislation also makes clear it is not legal to take advantage of, or sexually assault a person who is already incapacitated.
"Under current law, there are people who have used it as an affirmative defense. The fact that when they sexually assaulted someone, that they were already in the mentally vulnerable state," North Carolina House Representative Chaz Beasley from Mecklenburg County said.
The measure already has broad bipartisan support. More than half the 120 members of the NC House have co-sponsored the bill. McGuirk says it's time for victims to have justice.
"Members of the committee, it's time for North Carolina to send a clear message to these predators that their crimes will no longer be tolerated," she said.
