The federal government’s new definition of rape, which for the first time includes male victims, marks the first time the definition has changed in more than 80 years. 

Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro tells DC808 that he is pleased to see the feds come up with something that’s essentially the same as what Hawaii has had on the books for years. 

“We applaud the Justice Department and the FBI for updating and revising the Uniform Crime Report’s definition of rape,” Kaneshiro said in an email sent to Civil Beat. “This will help law enforcement gather statistics that accurately reflect the number of sexual assaults taking place and the extent of the problem. Now, FBI crime statistics will  comprehensively include Hawaii’s stats in their report.”

Kaneshiro said that the new definition also demonstrates “the foresight our legislators had in creating laws that truly recognize what sexual assault is.”