Let’s Sleep Together…
This story brings new meaning to the expression “sleep together”:
The woman who cannot be named, met 33-year-old Jan Luedecke, a landscaper, at a party in July 2003, where both had been drinking. She fell asleep on a couch and awoke to find Luedecke having sex with her. She pushed him off, and then called police.
Luedecke says he fell asleep on the same couch, and only woke up when he was thrown to the floor. The accused told the court he only suspected he had sex when he went to the bathroom and discovered he was wearing a condom.
During the trial, a sleep expert testified Luedecke had a condition called parasomnia, a disorder which includes symptoms like sleep walking. Dr. Colin Shapiro explained that during the incident Luedecke experienced sexsomnia, which is sexual behaviour during sleep. Luedecke’s sexsomnia was brought on by alcohol, genetics, and sleep deprivation, Shapiro said.
The court was told that Luedecke previously had sex while asleep with four girlfriends. He has since cut down on his drinking, and is taking medication to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Now, I’ve heard of Insomnia. I’ve heard of Nymphomania. But this is the first time I’ve ever heard of Sexsomnia. Acknowledgement by the court of this rare condition will acknowledge it from a legal standpoint. Perhaps Luedecke really is affected by this condition, but I have no doubt that many authentic rapists will try and use this as an excuse in the future.
Women’s groups are now concerned about the implications of this new condition as a legally binding excuse for sexual misconduct, but what about women suffering from the same condition? It seems like sexual assault groups are only interested in protecting women from unwanted sexual advances.
The BBC wrote an interesting article about sleep sex last year. Send me your thoughts on the condition and its legal implications.
December 1st, 2005 at 2:23 pm
Well I think it isn’t so much of an issue due to the necessity of a combination of “alcohol, genetics, and sleep deprivation.” If there is a gene that makes this possible then all it takes is some DNA evidence to show whether the defendent has the potential or not.
This limits itself only to those who have the condition that use it as an excuse for rape. Which seems very unlikely. Plus as seen in this particular case as soon as the girl protested the man awoke confused and what not. Therefore a true rape would only be effective as long as the girl didn’t struggle enough to awake a person. It seems unlikely to me that this would be a huge danger.
If there isn’t an easy DNA test to show whether its possible then the courts certainly need [with the aid of scientists] determine a way for proving the condition exists. Or at least educating a jury to be able to determine whether or not the condition exists.
It is a possibility but I think the [justified] negative stigma of rape in America is powerful enough that without exceptionally strong evidence most reasonable people won’t fall for this defense.
December 1st, 2005 at 2:55 pm
well i’m not a psycologist so i can’t comment on the legitimacy of this alledged “disorder”… the cynic in me wants to say this is a disorder of convenience… a theoretical psycological condition that lawyers, with the aid of supportive doctors, could use to get rapists off the hook with.
on the other hand, i’ll finish by saying the sub-conscious mind is probably man’s most immediate unknown… our subconscious is the biggest part of us that we don’t understand! i’ve seen pple do & say some strange shit while they were asleep… especially when drugs & alcahol are factors!
I have had dreams so vivid & so shocking to my psyche I have flashbacks. I have experienced instances where my mind was awake & i was aware of my surroundings but i couldn’t respond. I once fell asleep on the couch one day after school… while i was asleep i seddenly became aware of my surroundings. The TV was on Much Music and “Ressurection” by Moist was playing. I remember hearing my Mom calling for me to wake up & asking me what i wanted for supper but i couldn’t respond. To this day if i hear “Resurrection” i get chills because it reminds me of thr horror i felt knowing that i was “awake” but non-responsive. I never felt so vunerable or not in control of myself as i did then!
The subconscious is a strange bed fellow to say the least!
Have you had any door knockers yet? i can’t believe we are in for 7 weeks of Canadian styled campaigning… ah well, it beats the hell out of the 2 years the Americans go through!
December 3rd, 2005 at 1:17 pm
I must say this is a very weird topic. although I must admit that sometimes I dream things and they actually happen while I’m dreaming, or they happen the next day. WEIRD!! anywho, I must also agree that people say and do some stupid things while sleeping, sleep walking. case in point after a long judo tournament and a long ride home we stopped at a gas station restaurant where my friend fell asleep, without us knowing about it. (he kind of just had his head down, and we were talking to him) some of the conversation consisted of
Guy who was sleeping “peter remember that time you gave birth to a frog”
Peter “I gave birth to a frog?”
sleeper again “no you gave birth to two frogs”
there are also other cirmustances that could make me believe it but we’ll get inot those another time
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