Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25896389-20160225032648/@comment-7345267-20160517173345

The subject of this thread is rape and how the show does or not deal with it. Asking "What's so bad about it?" and comparing it to something else is absolutely on topic.

That said, I can't speak to every situation, but US law tells us that some crimes are worse than others in how they're classified and punished. For example, murder is one of the most serious crimes a person can commit. Even that has degrees to it (first, second, aggravated, manslaughter, etc). In my state, simple assault (the kind that doesn't have an additional factor like a gun, or a teacher committing it, etc) is a first (highest) degree misdemeanor. Rape is a first degree felony.

So when you ask which would have been worse/more damaging for Robin, a rape by deception or assault by Rumple (I can't remember what the show detailed/implied, I'm assuming assault) even our laws tell us rape is worse. And while the act might not have been all that physically damaging, it definitely would have been more psychologically damaging.

Murder is bad. Rape is bad. Assault is bad. And this is definitely a show that throws all three around (and more) with little consequence.