WASHINGTON — Rep. Carolyn Maloney has asked the Justice Department to clarify how it handles data about “stealthing” — when a man removes a condom during sex without his partner’s consent.
“Ambiguity about what behaviors are considered sexual assault both confuses law enforcement and endangers victims,” Maloney and Rep. Ro Khanna said in a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Friday.
The two lawmakers want clarification on if — and how — the Justice Department collects data on the practice and how it communicates it to local law enforcement.
“We urge the Department to explicitly address non-consensual condom removal when issuing guidance to state, local, and tribal agencies and when collecting data from these same entities,” the lawmakers wrote.
Maloney and Khanna had tried to get the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing on “stealthing” in 2017, but were unsuccessful.
Maloney’s office didn’t say whether she’ll push for another hearing now that the House is under Democratic control.