New Texas Law Fixes Shocking Loophole That Failed Assault Victims

Sometimes the laws in Texas can be either unclear about what they are, or they can have some loopholes that allows people to get away with a lot more than they should.

One of those was the sexual assault laws. The definition of what a sexual assault was, or more specifically, what consent is defined by, was a MAJOR loophole that didn't bring justice for victims of sexual assault.

What Was The Loophole In Texas

Experts say that the Texas laws were so loose on sexual assault that there was a "laundry list" of things that did not constitute consent. The way WE see it is if someone did not agree to it, then it's assault.

It isn't that simple. In Texas law, technically, it was not assault if the victim was too inebriated to consent, or if they had been purposely drugged by someone, yet assaulted by someone other than the person who drugged them.

A Real-Life Case Of The Loophole

Enter Summer Willis. She was drugged purposely by someone, yet assaulted by someone different. Because of that loophole, it wasn't recognized as an assault, even though she never gave any consent. She felt violated and not protected by the system.

She hid from it, and in essence, ran away from it. She was just a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin when she decided to leave Austin and study abroad. She had to get away from what happened to her.

The Summer Willis Act

Well, Summer decided to stop hiding. She took action. Willis started campaigning for an amendment to be made to House Bill 3073 to close the loophole and recognize assault for what it is, regardless of being intoxicated or being assaulted by someone other than the person who drugged them.

The bill managed to pass through the Texas House, but it stalled out when it reached the Senate. Months and months of fighting for it and explaining its importance ensued, and now, it's been passed.

Signed, Sealed, And Delivered

Gov. Greg Abbott signed off on the amendment to the law, officially closing the loophole and recognizing sexual assault to be just that if consent is not given, regardless of the condition of the person being assaulted.

Sen. Angela Paxton sponsored the bill and told the Texas Tribune:

“The passage of the Summer Willis Act is a clear statement that Texas will not tolerate sexual violence — and that we will no longer allow confusion about consent to be a shield for predators”