Rape and Power in Eighteenth Century London, England

Abstract

In London, England, rape was a prevalent crime throughout society in the mid-eighteenth century. During this time, rape was defined as "...unlawful and carnal knowledge of a woman, by force, and against her will," (Olsson, 2013). Though both men and women can be raped, this paper will specifically look at men who committed the crime against women and young girls. Men were able to commit rape by exerting their power over the women and young girls, whether by using physical strength, weapons, threats, or with the help of the severely lacking criminal justice system.