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Study explores how criminal law could address sexual violence in the metaverse

Carlotta Rigotti, post-doc researcher at eLaw—Center for Law and Digital Technologies, and Professor Clare McGlynn, Durham University, have co-authored a new in the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, introducing the concept of meta-rape and exploring its potential treatment under criminal law.

As the metaverse blurs the lines between physical and virtual realms—enhanced by haptic technologies offering sensory feedback—it is poised to become integral to daily life. Yet, this emerging digital frontier is also becoming a site of sexual violence.

Women users increasingly report non-consensual touching, image-based sexual abuse, and novel forms of gendered harm—often trivialized or poorly addressed by existing legal frameworks. This article introduces the concept of "meta-rape" to better capture the embodied and intense nature of these harms. It offers a new categorization of sexual harassment and abuse within the metaverse, and a comprehensive analysis of how criminal law may respond.

Contrary to prevailing assumptions, Rigotti and McGlynn argue that current legal provisions could already apply to certain forms of meta-rape, and they propose reforms aimed at strengthening and future-proofing criminal law through the proscription of intimate intrusions. By rethinking the legal framing of meta-rape, the article seeks to confront the prevalence and impact of these gendered harms while enhancing safety and autonomy in virtual environments.