Haw. Rev. Stat. § 707-741

Current through Act 7 of the 2024 Legislative Session

Section 707-741 - Incest

(1) A person commits the offense of incest if the person commits an act of sexual penetration with another who is within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity within which marriage is prohibited.

(2) Incest is a class C felony.

HRS § 707-741

L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1987, c 176, §1; gen ch 1992

COMMENTARY ON § 707-741

The Proposed Draft had recommended the deletion of incest as a crime. The Legislature, however, decided to retain the offense and found "that sexual intercourse with another who is within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity within which marriage is prohibited by HRS § 572-1 should be prohibited for the reason such marriages are prohibited." Conference Committee Report No. 2 (1972).

ADDITIONAL COMMENT

The Proposed Draft had suggested a provision (§741 of the Proposed Draft) that no person shall be convicted of a felony upon the uncorroborated testimony of the alleged victim. The Legislature rejected this concept, however, since it felt that there is little probability of corroborating evidence in the cases listed in Part V. The Legislature felt that the corroborating evidence requirement would prevent effective enforcement of the acts prohibited under this part. Conference Committee Report No. 2 (1972).

Incest is a general intent crime.66 Haw. 281,660 P.2d 522.

Degrees of consanguinity or affinity within which marriage is prohibited, see § 572-1(1) .