The first conviction
According to the old common-law rule, a man who forces his wife to have sexual intercourse with him cannot be convicted of rape. The celebrated Rideout case in Salem, Ore., late last year resulted in the acquittal of Husband John accused of rape by his wife Greta. Attitudes are changing, however. Last week, in another Salem, in Massachusetts, James K. Chretien was convicted of raping his estranged wife Carmelina. He is believed to be the first American ever convicted of wife rape. Chretien was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Thomas R....
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