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Home > The Jefferson Exchange > Two generations ago, marital rape wasn't a crime in most U.S. states. How did that change?
Podcast: The Jefferson Exchange
Episode:

Two generations ago, marital rape wasn't a crime in most U.S. states. How did that change?

Category: News & Politics
Duration: 00:29:33
Publish Date: 2026-01-20 16:32:11
Description:

In 1978, Greta Rideout was the first woman in American history to accuse her husband of rape, which was a crime in only four states: Oregon, Iowa, Delaware and Nebraska. Twenty-three-year-old Greta would be the first to take her husband to court over the criminal charge of rape. Her case gained national attention.

Sarah Weinman wrote about the case and the issue in her new book, "Without Consent: A Landmark Trial and the Decades-Long Struggle to Make Spousal Rape a Crime."

Guest

  • Sarah Weinman, author and Harvard professor
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