27/06/2026
⚖️ SUPREME COURT UPDATE | R**E THROUGH CARNAL KNOWLEDGE MAY NOW BE COMMITTED BY A WOMAN AGAINST A MAN
In a landmark En Banc decision, the Supreme Court clarified that r**e through carnal knowledge is no longer legally confined to a male offender and a female victim.
The Court explained that with the enactment of Republic Act No. 11648, the law now states that r**e is committed by “a person who shall have carnal knowledge of another person.” This gender-neutral wording recognizes that women may likewise commit r**e through carnal knowledge, and that men and boys can also be victims of r**e.
The case involved an 11-year-old boy who was allegedly forced by an adult woman to have s*xual in*******se. Since the incident occurred in 2018, before RA No. 11648 took effect, the accused could not be convicted of r**e without violating the constitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws. Instead, the Supreme Court convicted her of Statutory Acts of Lasciviousness.
More importantly, the Court acknowledged that limiting r**e to male offenders reflects outdated and patriarchal views that fail to recognize the trauma suffered by male victims. The decision affirms that s*xual violence is not determined by the gender of the offender or the victim, but by the absence of lawful consent and the protection guaranteed by law.
📌 Key Takeaway:
Beginning with offenses committed after the effectivity of RA No. 11648 (March 4, 2022), r**e through carnal knowledge may be committed regardless of the offender’s or the victim’s s*x, consistent with the gender-neutral language of the law.
Case: Maliclic v. People, G.R. No. 280727, February 4, 2026 (En Banc)
