Sexual Abuse (Incest, Molestation and Rape)

Incest is sexual contact between persons who are so closely related that a marriage between them is considered illegal (e.g. parents and children, uncles/aunts and nieces/nephews etc.). Usually, incest takes the form of an older family member having sexual relations or sexually abusing a child or an adolescent.
Molestation is the sexual abuse of a person (whether a child or adult) by an adult for sexual pleasure or for profit. It occurs when an individual sees another individual as a sexual object and uses this idea to satisfy his/her sexual urges and fantasies, usually by subjecting their victim to unwanted or improper sexual advances or activity.
It may includes any of the following.

• Fondling- to handle, stroke or caress lovingly or erotically.
• Mutual masturbation- two people touching each other's sexual organs for pleasure.
• Sodomy- sexual intercourse that involves inserting of the penis of one person into the anus of another person.
• Coitus- sexual intercourse between a male and a female involving the insertion of the penis into the vagina.
• Child pornography- explicit portrayal of children as sexual subject matter for purpose of sexual arousal. it may be in a variety of media, like books, magazines, films, photos, and others.
• Child prostitution- refers to children who get paid to have sex.

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Rape is forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Penetration may be by a body part or an object.

The sexual act may also be considered rape if it satisfies any of the following criteria:

• One or both people are not old enough to consent, which means one or both of them are below 18 years old.
•  One of them does not have capacity to consent, which means one of them may not be in his/her right mental and legal capacity to consent (i.e. with mental disability, people who have been drugged or unconscious, etc.)
• One of them did not agree to take part, which means the rapist might use physical force or threat to force the victim to have intercourse with him/ her.

If these three consideration are met, the sexual act falls under the category of rape, which is criminal offense and it is punishable by law.