Korea's 'Semen Terrorism' Is Happening Here, Too

The nature of semen attacks showcase the litany of problems in how the system deals with sexual assaults on women that don’t involve penetration or a physical fight. There is very little case law from any jurisdiction that involves attacks solely with bodily fluids, says Jennifer Long, a former prosecutor and victim advocate who is now CEO of AEquitas, a nonprofit that works to change legal standards and outcomes around gender-based violence. In the rare instances that semen assault fits under existing sexual assault statutes, it often comes with the condition that force was used on the victim.

Given that research shows sexual assault is dramatically underreported in the U.S., it’s a “very fair assumption” to believe that attacks with bodily fluids are also much more prevalent than we know, Long says. The lack of information about it often leaves women bewildered about what happened, who did it and whether they should even feel like a victim about the crime.

“With sexual assaults, [experts] often say the person to whom a victim first reports can have an impact on whether the victim proceeds with the process. So, if you can imagine telling a friend or family member or loved ones about a semen attack, only for it to be minimized as, ‘Thank God you weren’t raped.’ Or it might be law enforcement saying ‘Well, what do you want us to do? Our laws don’t cover that,’” Long says.