CHAPTER 16

AN ACT to amend and reenact § 18-59.1 of the Code of 1950, re-
lating to trials for unlawful carnal knowledge of female
children who are of bad repute or lewd.

[S 27]
Approved February 138, 1950

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 18-55.1 of the Code of 1950 be amended and reenacted
as follows:

§ 18-55.1. Effect of being a female of bad moral repute and
lewd.—Upon the trial of any defendant under the two preceding
sections, charged with unlawful carnal knowledge of a female child
between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years, if the jury, or the
court trying the case without a jury, shall find that such female
child was of bad moral repute and also was a lewd female, at and
before the time of the alledged offense, and that said unlawful
carnal knowledge was with her consent, the defendant shall not
be convicted of rape, * but, if warranted by the evidence, the jury,
or the court trying the case without a jury, may find the defendant
guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor child or of
fornication, and shall fir the defendant’s punishment as provided
by law for whichever of said offenses the defendant is convicted.
Provided, however, that this provision shall not apply * in any case
where such female child * is an inmate of any hospital for the
insane, or * is an inmate of an institution for deaf, dumb, blind,
feeble minded or epileptic persons, or * is of unsound mind.