ights in 1992 to balance between the rights of the accused (allowing sexual history in some case) and the rights of the victim (not allowing sexual history in "fishing expeditions", simply to discredit the victim (12). This new law defined consent as the voluntary agreement of the complainant to engage in sexual activity and said no that consent is obtained where the complainant shows, by words or conduct, that she or he does not consent to the activity.All in all, without rape shield laws, women would continue to be scrutinized in courtrooms during their rape trials. Not only would an increase in reporting rapes increase, but women would stick to that they were raped out of feeling comfortable to be able to enter a courtroom not feeling as guilty and embarrassed as they would have felt before the rape shield laws were enacted. Women are now given a fairer trial due to these shield laws because they prevent a woman's past sexual history to be revealed, unless under certain special circumstance apply as mentioned earlier. Women should not have to fear that because she sleeps with multiple partners, or leads a life of prostitution, or if she dresses a certain way that she deserved to be work. The reality is that no one deserves to be raped, and rape shield laws strengthen makes this reality now even stronger....
