《變形金剛 4》中提到的德州「羅密歐與朱麗葉」法案,是否真有其事?

若是虛構,為了帶出什麼劇情?若是真的,那麼這種法案的目的是什麼?才能豁免與「幼女」XX的罪?


真的有。

最早知道這個法律條款是因為幾年前經濟學人的一篇文章 Sex laws: Unjust and ineffective

這篇文章開頭講述了一位美國姑娘Wendy Whitaker的悲慘遭遇——當然和大家想的可能不一樣,這位姑娘在本案中並非性侵害的受害人,而是加害者。

事情是這樣的:

1996年的一天,喬治亞州的Wendy小姐和同學一起在教室里上課,然後老師關燈準備給大家放錄像。這時候Wendy旁邊的男生讓Wendy趁黑給他口*,Wendy就從了。此事敗露,因為Wendy年滿17,而那個男生不滿16,於是Wendy被逮捕並以雞姦罪起訴。Wendy聽從律師的意見認罪請求從輕發落,於是被判5年緩刑。因為不遵守緩刑期的種種規定(譬如定期向監督官報道),她又被追加了一年監禁。

2002年出獄後,Wendy小姐的噩夢還沒有結束,因為她已經被貼上了性侵犯者(Sex Offender)的標籤,她的姓名,照片,地址都被喬治亞州和其他性罪犯一樣公布在網上供公眾查詢,當然她的作案細節並沒有披露,只是說她「向未成年人進行危險性性行為」。她已經完全無法正常生活:電視台會在和性犯罪相關的節目中播出她的家庭住址;她不允許在任何兒童可能聚集的地方1000英尺(大概300米)內居住,包括學校,公園,圖書館,游泳池等。因為她家所在街尾的教堂有託兒所,所以她和丈夫被房東趕走,丈夫也受牽連失業,不再有健康保險。

顯然,Wendy小姐的遭遇對她個人而言,非常不公正,原本要保護青少年的法律卻毀了這位青少年的生活。所以美國一些州(不確定是否是全部)才在性犯罪相關的法律中增加了所謂「羅密歐朱麗葉(見Statutory rape)」條款,也就是說如果是青少年之間彼此主動的性行為,即便一方或者雙方未成年,也不視為犯罪。當然這是比較粗略的解釋,實際還有一些限制性條款,譬如:如果一方已經成年,那麼和未成年那方的年紀相差不能超過3歲;未成年那方必須大於14歲;年長那方不得為年幼方的老師,教練這類有可能用權威施壓的角色等等。

《變4》中男主威脅要控告女兒(17歲)的男朋友(20歲),而後者祭出德州的相關條款作擋箭牌,顯然是說你打我一頓還行,想告我沒門兒。


不是虛構的。
搜了一下,德州的條款是這樣的:
Under current Texas law no one can have sex with someone under 17 UNLESS:
1 there is no more than 3 years age difference (to the day);
2 he does not have to register as a sex offender;
3 the victim is 14 or older;

也就是說,如果一個人想與不滿17歲的人發生性關係,只要不是註冊在案的性侵者,與另一個人年齡差距不在三年以上,並且另一人大於14即可。

目的:
Romeo and Juliet laws and clauses concern young adults or teenagers who are a few years apart and have willingly had sexual relations. The purpose of Romeo and Juliet provisions is to prevent a sexual act that occurred between individuals with a few years age difference from being considered a criminal offense.

One of the most significant protections a Romeo and Juliet provision can offer is a guarantee that a convicted individual will not have to register as a sex offender.

為了避免兩個自願的小青年之間的性行為被粗暴的定義為犯罪,同時保護他們不被認定為性侵者,劃入檔案,從而影響幸福和前程。

引用:
Question about the Romeo and Juliet law in Texas?
What Are Romeo and Juliet Laws?


補充,咱中國也有這個,大陸這面是,已滿14周歲不滿16周歲的人偶爾與幼女發生性關係,情節輕微、尚未造成嚴重後果的,不認為是犯罪;台灣那面是「兩小無猜條款」;第二百二十七條之一(減刑或免刑)十八歲以下之人犯前條之罪者,減輕或免除其刑。


關於statutory rape美國刑法下有兩個approach.
Common law:
Statutory rape is a strict liability crime.
Consent and mistake of age are not defenses.
Garnett v. State: statutory rape is a strict liability crime and
therefore mistake of age is not a defense – mens rea requirement was expressly
rejected by the state legislature.

Model Penal Code("MPC"):
Allows mistake of age as defense.

要理解對年齡認知的錯誤,i.e.事實認知錯誤是否構成對statutory rape的抗辯,首先要理解一下美國刑法下對犯罪意圖的劃分。簡單說來,在複雜的美國法律體系下,美國刑法基本有兩種模式,即上文所述的common law approach和MPC approach。Common law的美國刑法下,犯罪的構成要件中往往包括mens rea(犯罪意圖),分為intent, recklessness, criminal negligence。 除上述三者之外就是strict liability crimes, 即prosecution不須證明D的犯罪意圖。Common law下的statutory rape是strict liability,所以不需要mens rea,那mistake of facts也就不能構成抗辯,因為mistake of facts是以事實認知的錯誤來抗辯嫌疑人並未有實施犯罪的意圖,既然一個罪不需要證明意圖,那麼對該意圖的抗辯也就無從談起了。

MPC Approach則與common law不同,MPC下的mens rea分為purpose, knowledge, recklessness和negligence. MPC下的statutory rape允許mistake of facts(多為對被侵害人年齡的認知錯誤)作為一種抗辯存在。

因此,如何避免在Romeo and Juliet law下被認定為statutory rape,取決於州刑法應用的是那種approach。在此基礎上才能來判斷事實認知錯誤或者consent是否可構成抗辯。


台灣也有類似的條款,叫做兩小無猜條款····


還真有,引自:The New 「Romeo and Juliet」 Law in Texas
作者為:Local Tyler and East Texas Business Blog

A new law has just been passed in Texas that is sure to ruffle some feathers, particularly for social conservatives. Really it』s more of an amendment to existing law and I』m not sure where I stand on this one. It』s been nicknamed the Romeo and Juliet law. It basically lowers the age of consent for teenagers from eighteen to fifteen and protects the consensual partner from prosecution on statutory rape charges, through the age of nineteen. Here』s the upside: under the current law, anyone who had sex in high school or immediately out of school who happened to be at least eighteen and had sex with a younger student could be prosecuted and wind up on the state sex offender list indefinitely. Obviously, this precludes him or her from all kinds of work, and will follow the offender where ever they go. It also inflates the sex offender numbers making it difficult to distinguish a potential threat from someone who merely made a mistake as an adolescent.

We』ve all heard horror stories about young people being put on the state』s list, despite eventually marrying their 「victims.」 I don』t know how often that kind of thing happens, but I don』t deem anyone who had sex as an adolescent to be a threat to my loved ones. Of course many social conservatives (with whom I often agree mind you), will argue that this merely continues to make society more permissive. Now, I』m willing to be taken to task on this but, I really don』t think this legal change is going to result in increased promiscuity. How many teens are really holding off on sex due to the threat of prosecution? All the new law really does is highlight the unfortunate lais·sez-faireapproach to sexuality that is predominate in our society. It』s not government』s job to inculcate values into our families. An old governmental principle states that a leader should never make a law he is unable to enforce. That』s what the statutory rape laws had become, largely unenforceable. As I see it, all the state of Texas did, was make the law enforceable.


樓上已經有說到的了,稍稍補充一下~我國也有類似規定:2000年最高法頒布的《關於審理強姦案件有關問題的解釋》中提到已滿14周歲不滿16周歲的人與與幼女發生性關係構成犯罪的以強姦罪定罪處罰,但對於與幼女發生性關係,情節輕微、尚未造成嚴重後果的,不認定的犯罪。這裡的幼女自願的話,也就是朱麗葉這種狀況大概可以算作情節輕微…

評論里Bruce Wayne指出了一個錯誤sorry。。2000年的這個法條已經被廢止,現行有效的有同樣規定的是2013年10月23日發布的《關於依法懲治性侵害未成年人犯罪的意見》,第27點提到的便是。
謝謝Wayne同學^_^
既然回答了確實要嚴謹一點


在美國性侵受害主體是「幼童」,中國是「幼女」。

先說美國吧,因為一個成年人,幼童即便自願與之發生關係也算強姦這種法律,立法初衷是為了保護年少無知的幼童。那如果這個人不是成年人,只是另一個孩子呢?比如初中同學之間太常見了吧,判他性侵嗎?這樣顯然是有問題的。大家都是年少無知的孩子,怎麼能單單懲罰其中一個呢?所以才有了這種補充性的法律。

當然,我國法律性侵受害主體只有女性,沒有男性,如果是和幼男發生關係,別說他是自願的,就算是被強迫的,當事人也不會受法律制裁。所以,這種補充法律在中國只能保護與幼女發生關係的男孩。


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