Iowa Trial to Weigh Whether Wife Was Able to Consent to Sex

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa lawmaker is set to stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted his wife when she was longer capable of legally consenting to have sex.

Henry Rayhons' trial is scheduled to start on Wednesday. His wife Donna Lou Rayhons died last August, days before he was formally charged.

Donna Lou Rayhons was moved into a nursing home last year, suffering from dementia. Soon after, staff told Henry Rayhons at a meeting that his wife was no longer capable of legally consenting to have sex. Prosecutors say he ignored the message.

Many couples experience illness, but what happened with the Rayhons has little precedent. Experts could not think of another rape case that involved a previously consenting spouse who could no longer legally acquiesce.

(Story by: Catherine Lucey, The Associated Press)