Why read Sexual Forensics in Victorian and Edwardian England?

Book cover of Sexual Forensics in Victorian and Edwardian England: Age, Crime and Consent in the Courts

Book description

Drawing on court records from London and the South West, Sexual Forensics in Victorian and Edwardian England explores medical roles in trials for sexual offences. Its focus on sexual maturity, a more flexible concept than the legal age of consent, enables histories of sexual crime to be seen in a…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Sexual Forensics in Victorian and Edwardian England as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Katherine D. Watson

Author

This fascinating study shows that victim-blaming has a long history and doctors have been part of the problem, playing a significant role in constructing and reinforcing rape myths in the years 1850-1914. The unique focus on age, medical beliefs about puberty, and public concerns about sexual offences and working-class sexuality explains why even children under the legal age of consent might not be seen as sexually innocent. Medicine provided a scientific rationale for deeply entrenched and remarkably stable popular beliefs about ‘real rape’ and ‘victimhood’, contributing to the serious burden that female victims faced in court.

From Katherine's list on The best books on the history of forensic medicine.