New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing a firestorm of criticism after appearing to wave away New York City’s climbing rape numbers by pointing to a legal technicality.
The controversy erupted after PIX11’s Dan Mannarino pressed the mayor on rising rape and felony assault figures that City Council Speaker Julie Menin has flagged as troubling, even as the NYPD touts historic lows in murders and shootings. Rather than directly addressing the spike, Mamdani suggested a chunk of it was attributable to New York’s broadened legal definition of rape, plus survivors finally reporting decades-old attacks.
“I believe the NYPD, when they put forward their numbers, what we’re seeing are some of the lowest numbers that New York City has seen in recorded history, especially when it comes to murders and shootings,” Mamdani stated. “These are the lowest we’ve ever seen. And what I think is important to know is a lot of the increase in rape also comes from an expanded definition of what counts as rape, as well as survivors coming forward for acts that took place years prior.”
That explanation landed like a lead balloon online.
Democratic Council Member Susan Zhuang was among those turning on a fellow Democrat, warning that redefining rape under the law should never become a shield against accountability for actually reducing sexual violence.
“Expanding the legal definition of rape was an important step toward recognizing more survivors under the law. But it should never be used to deflect from the responsibility to reduce sexual violence,” Zhuang said. “Survivors deserve leadership, action, accountability, and justice. They don’t deserve deflection.”
Conservative commentators piled on with even sharper comments. Women’s sports activist Riley Gaines questioned how female voters ever got behind Mamdani.
“HOW did women vote for this guy?” Gaines asked.
Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy blasted, “Rapes are up. Rents are up. Foreign diseases and parasites spreading. Historic Churches burning left and right. Elect the third world, get the third world.”
In January 2024, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed the “Rape is Rape” Act, which went into effect that September. The law altered the old requirement that rape convictions hinge solely on non-consensual penile-vaginal penetration, expanding the definition to cover forced oral and anal contact as well — acts previously prosecuted under a separate, lesser charge of criminal sexual act. Before the change, advocates argued, survivors of those other assaults were denied the ability to see their attacks legally labeled as rape at all.
But Mamdani’s critics were quick to note the legal shift doesn’t fully explain the trend. NYPD’s own CompStat figures reportedly show rape reports still climbing 6.6% year-over-year — well after the new definition had already taken hold, undercutting the notion that redefinition of the standards is driving the numbers all by itself.
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