Legal Definitions - rape shield law

A rape shield law is a legal statute that restricts or prohibits the use of evidence about the past sexual conduct of the victim in rape or sexual assault cases. This means that in court, the defendant cannot bring up the victim's sexual history to try and prove that they consented to the sexual activity.

For example, if a woman is raped and the defendant tries to argue that she consented because she had sex with someone else before, the rape shield law would prevent this argument from being used in court.

The purpose of the rape shield law is to protect the victim from being unfairly judged or blamed for the assault. Before the law was put in place, defense lawyers would often use a victim's sexual history to discredit them and make it seem like they were responsible for the assault.

Today, many states have rape shield laws to protect victims and ensure that they receive a fair trial.