K.S.A. » Chapter 21
Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 21-5503 (2026)

Rape

✓ current as of May 2026
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21-5503. Rape. (a) Rape is:

(1) Knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse with a victim who does not consent to the sexual intercourse under any of the following circumstances:

(A) When the victim is overcome by force or fear; or

(B) when the victim is unconscious or physically powerless;

(2) Knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse with a victim when the victim is incapable of giving consent because of mental deficiency or disease, or when the victim is incapable of giving consent because of the effect of any alcoholic liquor, narcotic, drug or other substance, which condition was known by the offender or was reasonably apparent to the offender;

(3) sexual intercourse with a child who is under 14 years of age;

(4) sexual intercourse with a victim when the victim's consent was obtained through a knowing misrepresentation made by the offender that the sexual intercourse was a medically or therapeutically necessary procedure; or

(5) sexual intercourse with a victim when the victim's consent was obtained through a knowing misrepresentation made by the offender that the sexual intercourse was a legally required procedure within the scope of the offender's authority.

(b) (1) Rape as defined in:

(A) Subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) is a severity level 1, person felony;

(B) subsection (a)(3) is a severity level 1, person felony, except as provided in subsection (b)(2); and

(C) subsection (a)(4) or (a)(5) is a severity level 2, person felony.

(2) Rape as defined in subsection (a)(3) or attempt, conspiracy or criminal solicitation to commit rape as defined in subsection (a)(3) is an off-grid person felony, when the offender is 18 years of age or older.

(c) If the offender is 18 years of age or older, the provisions of:

(1) Subsection (c) of K.S.A. 21-5301, and amendments thereto, shall not apply to a violation of attempting to commit the crime of rape as defined in subsection (a)(3);

(2) subsection (c) of K.S.A. 21-5302, and amendments thereto, shall not apply to a violation of conspiracy to commit the crime of rape as defined in subsection (a)(3); and

(3) subsection (d) of K.S.A. 21-5303, and amendments thereto, shall not apply to a violation of criminal solicitation to commit the crime of rape as defined in subsection (a)(3).

(d) It shall be a defense to a prosecution of rape under subsection (a)(3) that the child was married to the accused at the time of the offense.

(e) Except as provided in subsection (a)(2), it shall not be a defense that the offender did not know or have reason to know that the victim did not consent to the sexual intercourse, that the victim was overcome by force or fear, or that the victim was unconscious or physically powerless.

History: L. 2010, ch. 136, § 67; L. 2011, ch. 30, § 29; July 1.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 97 cases (71 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: State v. Wallin, 366 P.3d 651 (Kan. Ct. App. 2016).
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State v. Wallin, 366 P.3d 651 (Kan. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 8× “In order to establish a defendant's guilt for the crimes of rape (K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5503[a][2]), aggravated criminal sodomy (K.”
State v. Dinkel, 465 P.3d 166 (Kan. 2020). · cites it 6× “" K.S.A. 2012 Supp. 21-5503. K.S.A. 2012 Supp.”
State v. Hillard, 511 P.3d 883 (Kan. 2022). · cites it 2× “21-5402 (first-degree murder); K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5503 (rape). Rather, the location in which a crime is committed is a jurisdictional fact that determines the appropriate venue for prosecuting a defendant for the crimes.”
State v. Thomas, 488 P.3d 517 (Kan. 2021). · cites it 5× “First, we must compare the jury instruction to K.S.A 2020 Supp. 21-5503. The analysis is straightforward, and we agree with the Court of Appeals that jury instruction No.”
State v. Ballou, 448 P.3d 479 (Kan. 2019). “See K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5503(b)(2); K.S.A. 2013 Supp.”
United States v. Faustino Gomez, 757 F.3d 885 (9th Cir. 2014). · cites it 2× “4(l)(b)(2); Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 21-5503 (a)(3), 21-5506(b), 21-5507(a); Ky.”
State of Iowa v. Michael Cory Kelso-Christy, 911 N.W.2d 663 (Iowa 2018). “[w]here a person submits under the belief that the person committing the act is someone known to the victim other than the accused, and this belief is induced by any artifice, pretense, or concealment practiced by the accused, with intent to induce the belief"); Kan. Stat. Ann.…”
State v. Dinkel, 495 P.3d 402 (Kan. 2021). · cites it 2× “Neither the panel's decision nor our analysis relies solely on the absence of a mens rea term in K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5503(a). They both rely on the absence of any mens rea language in that subsection compared to the 16 presence of mens rea language in every other subsection…”
In re Spradling, 509 P.3d 483 (Kan. 2022). “K.S.A 2020 Supp. 21-5503(a)(2) defines "rape" as "[k]nowingly engaging in sexual intercourse .”
State v. Flynn, 329 P.3d 429 (Kan. 2014). · cites it 3× “21-3502(a)(1)(A) (2007), did not contain the language now found in K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5503(e), we leave for another day whether a modified Bunyard instruction would remain appropriate in cases arising under K.”
State v. Toothman, 448 P.3d 1039 (Kan. 2019). “See 3 K.S.A. 2011 Supp. 21-5503(a)(1)(A) (rape of victim "overcome by force or fear"); K.”
State v. Scheetz, 541 P.3d 79 (Kan. 2024). “" As a result, the State charged Scheetz with two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy under K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 21-5504(b)(1) (sodomy with a child under 14 years old), two counts of rape under K.”
Show all 97 citing cases →
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a) — 3 cases
State v. Dinkel, 495 P.3d 402 (Kan. 2021). “Neither the panel's decision nor our analysis relies solely on the absence of a mens rea term in K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5503(a). They both rely on the absence of any mens rea language in that subsection compared to the 16 presence of mens rea language in every other subsection…”
State v. Waggoner (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
State v. Newborn (Kan. Ct. App. 2025).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a)(1) — 5 cases
State v. Atkins (Kan. Ct. App. 2025).
State v. Throne (Kan. Ct. App. 2020).
Cabrera-Sanchez v. State (Kan. Ct. App. 2020).
Broadnax v. State (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
State v. Perales (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a)(1)(A) — 22 cases
State v. Hillard, 511 P.3d 883 (Kan. 2022). “21-5402 (first-degree murder); K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5503 (rape). Rather, the location in which a crime is committed is a jurisdictional fact that determines the appropriate venue for prosecuting a defendant for the crimes.”
State v. Toothman, 448 P.3d 1039 (Kan. 2019). “See 3 K.S.A. 2011 Supp. 21-5503(a)(1)(A) (rape of victim "overcome by force or fear"); K.”
State v. Pepper, 539 P.3d 203 (Kan. 2023).
State v. Thomas, 488 P.3d 517 (Kan. 2021). “First, we must compare the jury instruction to K.S.A 2020 Supp. 21-5503. The analysis is straightforward, and we agree with the Court of Appeals that jury instruction No.”
State v. Conkling, 540 P.3d 414 (Kan. Ct. App. 2023).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a)(1)(B) — 3 cases
Kerry G. v. Stacy C., 386 P.3d 921 (Kan. Ct. App. 2016).
State v. Theodore (Kan. Ct. App. 2026).
State v. Smiley (Kan. Ct. App. 2026).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a)(2) — 9 cases
State v. Wallin, 366 P.3d 651 (Kan. Ct. App. 2016). “In order to establish a defendant's guilt for the crimes of rape (K.S.A. 2014 Supp. 21-5503[a][2]), aggravated criminal sodomy (K.”
In re Spradling, 509 P.3d 483 (Kan. 2022). “K.S.A 2020 Supp. 21-5503(a)(2) defines "rape" as "[k]nowingly engaging in sexual intercourse .”
State v. Nunez, 554 P.3d 656 (Kan. 2024).
State v. Massey (Kan. Ct. App. 2020).
State v. Roberson (Kan. Ct. App. 2020).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a)(3) — 34 cases
State v. Dinkel, 465 P.3d 166 (Kan. 2020). “" K.S.A. 2012 Supp. 21-5503. K.S.A. 2012 Supp.”
State v. Dinkel, 495 P.3d 402 (Kan. 2021). “Neither the panel's decision nor our analysis relies solely on the absence of a mens rea term in K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 21-5503(a). They both rely on the absence of any mens rea language in that subsection compared to the 16 presence of mens rea language in every other subsection…”
State v. Scheetz, 541 P.3d 79 (Kan. 2024). “" As a result, the State charged Scheetz with two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy under K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 21-5504(b)(1) (sodomy with a child under 14 years old), two counts of rape under K.”
State v. Hunt, 503 P.3d 1067 (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
In re Petition for Habeas Corpus by Bowman, 441 P.3d 451 (Kan. 2019).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(a)(l)(A) — 2 cases
State v. Flynn, 329 P.3d 429 (Kan. 2014). “21-3502(a)(1)(A) (2007), did not contain the language now found in K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5503(e), we leave for another day whether a modified Bunyard instruction would remain appropriate in cases arising under K.”
State v. Baggett (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(b)(1) — 4 cases
State v. Dunn (Kan. 2021).
State v. Hopkins (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
State v. Meeks (Kan. Ct. App. 2025).
State v. Dunn, 483 P.3d 446 (Kan. 2021).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(b)(1)(A) — 1 case
State v. Nunez, 554 P.3d 656 (Kan. 2024).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(b)(1)(B) — 1 case
State v. Dunn, 444 P.3d 373 (Kan. Ct. App. 2019).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(b)(2) — 4 cases
State v. Ballou, 448 P.3d 479 (Kan. 2019). “See K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5503(b)(2); K.S.A. 2013 Supp.”
State v. Ballou (Kan. 2019).
Cabrera-Sanchez v. State (Kan. Ct. App. 2020).
State v. McElroy (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(d) — 1 case
State v. Spackman (Kan. Ct. App. 2021).
— K.S.A. § 21-5503(e) — 9 cases
State v. Thomas, 488 P.3d 517 (Kan. 2021). “First, we must compare the jury instruction to K.S.A 2020 Supp. 21-5503. The analysis is straightforward, and we agree with the Court of Appeals that jury instruction No.”
State v. Flynn, 329 P.3d 429 (Kan. 2014). “21-3502(a)(1)(A) (2007), did not contain the language now found in K.S.A. 2013 Supp. 21-5503(e), we leave for another day whether a modified Bunyard instruction would remain appropriate in cases arising under K.”
State v. Atkins (Kan. Ct. App. 2025).
State v. Scott (Kan. Ct. App. 2026).
State v. Arreola (Kan. Ct. App. 2024).
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