Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 771 – Rape in the third degree; class B felony
(a) 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:
a. 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
b. 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.
(3) [Repealed.]
Attorney's Note
Under the Delaware Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class B felony | between 2 and 25 years |
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 771
- Child: means a person who has not reached the age of 18 years. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
71 Del. Laws, c. 285, § ?11; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § ?1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 271, §§ ?4-6; 77 Del. Laws, c. 318, §§ ?7, 8;