Rapist Claims Sexsomnia Made Him Do It, He Was Asleep
A 27 year old accused rapist in Sweden is claiming a defense that he suffers from sexsomnia and was asleep at the time of the incident.
According to reports, the rape took place last June in the village of Vilhelmina after the woman he’s accused of raping had passed out in a cabin after drinking heavily that night. The indictment that was filed in the case on Thursday states he then had sexual intercourse with the young woman as she was completely passed out sleeping. Because the woman was judged to be in a state where she was unable to say no or defend herself, prosecutors have charged the man with rape.
While under questioning the man defended himself by saying:
“I was awakened by her pushing me away and asking, ‘Are you awake?'”
The 27-year-old claimed that he suffers from somnambulism and sexsomnia, a condition where sufferers perform sexual acts while still asleep.
He also stated that the incident wasn’t the first time he had woken up to find he’d had sex without knowing it, but that his ex-girlfriend would tell him occasionally after waking up the following morning that he had had sex with her in his sleep.
Neurologist Cramer Bornemann of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Minneapolis told medical advice website WebMD:
“This is very well-accepted as a diagnosis within the field of sleep medicine. It’s different than having a sexual dream. It’s full-fledged sexual behavior while asleep.”
According to Aftonbladet, an expert on sleep disorders will be testifying at the 27-year-old’s trial. This is not the first time this particular defense has been used in a case. In 2007, a 38 year old man accused of molesting an 8 year old girl was acquitted claiming he asleep during the incident. In 2011, another man convicted of raping a sleeping woman while in his asleep was acquitted on his appeal.
Do you think these men are just trying to work the system to get off?
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