New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie talks with reporters about issues with 2026 state budget at the state Capitol Monday, April 28, 2025, in Albany, N.Y. Hans Pennink

Rape is the one crime that’s rising in New York City , yet state law still preserves an antiquated rule that shields perps who prey on intoxicated women — and the Legislature’s leaders refuse to change it.

The case of sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein has generated countless political broadsides, but consider this: In New York, many of his victims could never have had him prosecuted for rape.

The moment he got them drunk, our law would’ve protected him.

And Epstein’s victims are not the exception — they are the norm.

Studies show 84% of sexual assaults involve alcohol or drugs, and nearly three-quarters of college-ag

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