of judge’s ban on the use of the word ‘rape’ at trial reflects trend

Judge’s ban on the use of the word ‘rape’ at trial reflects trend: Tory Bowen, who was raped, was not allowed by the judge to use the word "rape" in front of a jury. "Sexual assault" and the word "assailant" to describe the man who allegedly raped her was also not allowed.


Tory Bowen

It’s the only way Tory Bowen knows to honestly describe what happened to her. She was raped. But a judge prohibited her from uttering the word “rape” in front of a jury. The term “sexual assault” also was taboo, and Bowen could not refer to herself as a victim or use the word “assailant” to describe the man who allegedly raped her.

Tory said,

It shouldn’t be up to a judge to tell me whether or not I was raped. I should be able to tell the jury in my own words what happened to me.