If You’ve Ever Had ‘Drunken Sex,’ Here’s Why You Could One Day Be Considered A Rapist [Report]

Although most people may never admit it, everyone has probably had at least one night of drinking only to wake the next morning with little recollection of what actually occurred the night before. The events that occurred may not be totally indistinct, but it’s probably safe to say specific details about the timeline of events may be rather hazy.

There have been many cases where those wild nights have ended with “romps in the hay” but, unfortunately, the intimate encounters may also be relatively difficult to remember. Now, one lawyer is challenging the definition of those risqué sexual encounters by arguing inebriation causes impairment to the degree that many women suffer lapses in judgment. For this particular reason, this female lawyer feels drunk sex should be considered rape.

According to the Stir, Dame Elish Angiolini has been working vigorously to develop a comprehensive report arguing “women can’t consent to sex when drunk.” Angiolini’s controversial notion is reportedly based on rape case statistics. Apparently, alcohol is one of the biggest contributors to a woman’s impaired state during alleged sexual assaults. So, Angiolini is fighting to have a law proposed to make drunken sex a crime that carries a rape charge, reports Daily Star. However, there are a number of obstacles she’ll be faced with trying to argue her perspective.

In a recent report published by the Daily Mail, a U.K. judge argued how alcohol tolerance varies from person to person. “Experience shows that different individuals have a greater or lesser capacity to cope with alcohol and, indeed, the ability of a single individual to do so may vary from day to day,” he said.

While one woman may barely feel a buzz after one drink, another could actually suffer high levels of impairment. His theory argues that such a claim would be extremely difficult to support because “it would be impossible to devise a system that would link a person’s capacity to consent with how much alcohol had been consumed.”

But, surprisingly, another study revealed the definition of consensual sex actually varies where men are concerned. Some men actually have misconstrued notions about the distinct difference between consensual sex and rape.

“In a recent study, 32 percent of male college students admitted they would ‘force a woman to have sexual intercourse’ but only 14 admitted they would ever ‘rape’ a woman.”

It’ll definitely be interesting to see how this proposed law turns out. While there may be men who have used alcohol to impair a woman’s judgment, there have also been cases where women have used alcohol impairment as an excuse after knowingly consenting to sex. So, although Angiolini’s intent may be to protect others, there’s still a possibility for abuse.

Do you think it’s far-fetched to consider drunken sex a form of rape? Share your thoughts.

[Photo by Adam Berry / Getty Images]