CR27-221 12/08/22

SEXUAL ASSAULT (THREAT OR COERCION) – 13 V.S.A. § 3252(a)(2)

The State has charged (Def)_______________ with sexual assault, as follows:

[Read the charge.]

Every crime is made up of essential elements. Before (Def)_______________ can be found guilty of the charge, the State must have proven each of the essential elements beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the essential elements are that on the date and at the place alleged,

(1) (Def)_______________;

(2) engaged in a sexual act with (victim)_______________;

(3) by [threatening] [coercing] [him] [her]; and

(4) [he] [she] did so intentionally.

The first essential element is that (Def)_______________ is the person who committed the crime charged.

The second essential element is that (Def)_______________ engaged in a sexual act with (victim)_______________.

A sexual act means conduct between persons consisting of [contact between] [the penis and the vulva] [the penis and the anus] [the mouth and the penis] [the mouth and the vulva] [any intrusion, however slight, by any part of a person’s body or any object into the genital or anal opening of another]. The word contact, as used in this charge, means a touching, however slight. [The word vulva means the external genital organs of the female, including the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and the entrance to the vagina.]

The third essential element is that (Def)_______________ engaged in the sexual act with (victim)_______________ by [threatening] [coercing] [him] [her]. [To threaten another person means to communicate, by words or by deeds, an intention to inflict harm upon that other person.] [To coerce another person means to exert control over the other person to such an extent that it requires the other person to submit, and deprives [him] [her] of [his] [her] free will. Submission of the individual may be accomplished through psychological coercion alone.]

The last essential element is that (Def)_______________ acted intentionally. [He] [She] must have acted purposely, and not inadvertently, because of mistake, or by accident. You may find that (Def)_______________ acted intentionally if it was [his] [her] conscious objective to engage in the sexual act with (victim)_______________ by using threats or coercion.

A person’s intent may be shown by the way in which the person expresses it to others, or by his or her conduct. In determining (Def)_______________’s intent, you should consider all of the surrounding facts and circumstances established by the evidence.

Here the State alleges that (Def)_______________ intentionally engaged in the sexual act with (victim)_______________ by (specific acts)_______________.

All of the elements of the offense must have been present at the same time. If the State has not proven each of the essential elements of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt, then you must find (Def)_______________ not guilty. However, if the State has proven all of the essential elements beyond a reasonable doubt, you must return a verdict of guilty.