The Tennessee Supreme Court has overturned an antiquated rule classifying statutory rape victims as accomplices.
The court on Monday also issued a unanimous opinion to eliminate the requirement that testimony of the victim be corroborated by other independent evidence.
The ruling upholds the statutory rape conviction of DeWayne Collier of Shelby County. He was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old Arkansas girl.
The high court had expressed interest in issues raised by Collier's case, including whether the victim of a sexual offense can be a criminal accomplice.
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