BDSM: Femdom Laws and Politics
(Legal Issues Related to BDSM Female Domination Plays)

Femdom Laws and Politics

General Overview
Lack of Definition of BDSM Femdom Activities
For Parties in BDSM Femdom Activities
-- Possible Criminal and Civil Charges
-- How to Act When Law Enforcement Officers Come
For Law Enforcement Officers
-- Perception as a Motive for Prosecution
-- Ulterior Motives
-- The Dilemmas
-- The Differences Between Abuse and Consensual Lovemaking
-- Signals to Help You Evaluate the Situation
-- How to Act

For Parties in Femdom Activities:

Possible Criminal and Civil Charges

1. Possible Criminal Charges and Defense

Frequently, dominant women are afraid that they will be charged with assault for their actions. Assault is generally defined as any touching done with the intent to injure, insult or provoke. 

In most places, "consent" is a defense to assault.  However, it only stands as a defense the victim has the capacity to consent, and that the consent cannot be obtained by fraud or misrepresentation.

2. Possible Civil Charges and Defense

Civil charges, or lawsuits, of femdom related activities can be brought by individual citizens, and can result in monetary damages but not incarceration.

The proof required in a civil suit is less than the "proof beyond reasonable doubt" standard in a criminal case.

Besides consent, some people use waivers to try to protect themselves or their groups from liabilities of civial cases.  While not an absolute defense, waivers can be evidence to show that the injured person assumed the risk of their conduct in participating in the event or activity. Similarly waivers can be used to show the state of mind of the person who signed the waiver and that they were aware of various inherent risks in what they were doing.