19/12/2025
โผ๏ธIt is โR**Eโ or โRape Crimeโ, not โSimple Rapeโ.โผ๏ธ
Because nothing is simple about R**E
SUPREME COURT CLARIFIES: NOTHING SIMPLE IN R**E CRIME
The Supreme Court (SC) has clarified that the proper term for the crime punished under Article 266-A(1)(a) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) is r**e, not simple r**e, reminding courts that the latter term trivializes the gravity of the offense.
In a decision penned by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting, the SC's Third Division affirmed the conviction of a man for ra**ng a 13-year-old girl and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years of imprisonment.
The accused had earlier been found guilty by both the Regional Trial Court and the Court of Appeals, which referred to the offense as simple r**e. While upholding the conviction, the SC took the opportunity to emphasize that such terminology is improper.
โAfter all, there is nothing โsimpleโ about r**e. Referring to it in such a manner downplays its severity and desensitizes the public to the harm it inflicts,โ the Court said, stressing the profound psychological and physical trauma suffered by victims.
While r**e was initially classified as a crime against chastity under Article 335 of the RPC, Republic Act No. 8353, or the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, reclassified it as a crime against persons. Crimes against chastity, such as adultery and seduction, are generally private crimes which focus on protecting the victimโs honor.
On the other hand, crimes against persons, such as homicide, murder, and physical injuries, aim to protect individualsโ bodily integrity and well-being.
The highest bench underscored that the reclassification of r**e as a crime against persons highlights how it is a serious crime causing psychological and physical harm to victims. It noted that the r**e must โnever be trivialized as โsimple,โโ especially in the courtsโ decisions.
