Expert: Ovadiah ben Avraham - 7/14/2006

Question
Is a rape victim required to forgive a rapist in Judaism? How much of a crime is rape seen in Judaism? How about child molestion?  

Answer
There is no requirement for a victim to forgive his/her rapist, or anyone else for that matter who has wronged them. Rape and child molestation are considered terrible crimes by Judaism, just as in other religions/cultures. The Torah spells out capital punishment for the offender. However, since capital punishment is no longer metted out in Israel, we leave that to the courts and ultimately the True Judge. Hope this helps. Shalom!