Virtual Rape Is Traumatic, but Is It a Crime?

[cadence]

The question and my post to it, has been bothering me, so I decided to look up more information on the Virtual Rape story.

I am the Queen of Assumptions, and basically misunderstood the whole interpretation of virtual rape.

After reading an article revolving around a virtual rape that has been brought forth before the courts. I find the whole thing brings up many points to ponder about virtual life and real life, and how they can at times almost connect together if you let them.

In my own opinion, virtual rape is not a crime, it can be emotionally devastating, to the actual person (not the character), but to pull it out into the real world seems a bit much.
And yes virtual rape and real rape cannot be compared as the same thing. Although the same word is used to decribe both occurances, the actual acts are very different.

Considering the whole story, it involves a virtual setting where a character makes a "voo doo" doll to force two other characters to perform unwanted, unwilling sexual acts.
The ending to the story involves the rest of the virtual community to forgo a "virtual death" to the rapist. Now you have a virtual rape, turned into a virtual murder, and I highly doubt you can convict anyone in real life for that.
It also leaves the rapist to come back into the community as a new character.
If the rapist was to repeatedly do what he/she had done on a continuous basis, the only recourse would be to ban the IP address, thus ending any more emotional trauma to others.
If it was to be brought to the courts and charged, I can only guess that harrassment would be the only charge that would be feasible.



[QUOTE=anonymouse;290137](Cadence - I LOVE your avatar! ) Thanks