I just started Michael S. Gazzaniga's latest book, The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind. Early in the book, I come upon the case of Anne Greene, which I'd never heard.
In 1650, Ms. Greene, a house servant, was raped by the master's grandson. The infant was born but apparently stillborn. But this was a child conceived by the rape of a nobleman and now dead. The punishment was to hang the victim. Sound familiar?
What made this case standout is the next day when they were about to dissect the body for science, she let out a gurgling sound and was resuscitated. Of course, they wanted to hang her again but between doctors claiming the child was stillborn and others seeing this as a sign from God, she was allowed to live, marry, and have 3 more children.
I'm thinking not a whole lot has changed in our attitudes toward social class and who to punish when a man rapes a woman.
You can read more about Anne Greene here.