Opinion ID: 1677618
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Evidence of Crime

Text: Section 28-319 prohibits, among other things, one who, like Hirsch, is 19 years of age or over from sexually penetrating one who, like the daughter, is less than 16 years of age. Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-318 (Reissue 1989) defines sexual penetration as including any intrusion, however slight, of any part of the actor's body into the genital or anal openings of the victim's body. The emission of semen is not required. Consistent with the statutory language, we have held that the slightest intrusion into the genital opening is sufficient to constitute penetration in a prosecution for first degree sexual assault, and such element may be proved by either direct or circumstantial evidence. State v. Craig, 219 Neb. 70, 361 N.W.2d 206 (1985); State v. Tatum, 206 Neb. 625, 294 N.W.2d 354 (1980); State v. Holloman, 197 Neb. 139, 248 N.W.2d 15 (1976); State v. Atkinson, 190 Neb. 473, 209 N.W.2d 154 (1973). It is not necessary that the vagina be entered or that the hymen be ruptured; the entry of the vulva or labia is sufficient. Atkinson, supra . Hirsch argues that the only evidence about actual sexual penetration occurred when the daughter testified that the pain was like up inside me. But as detailed in part II, the record reveals more than sufficient evidence of penetration given by several witnesses. The daughter herself testified to several instances of penetration by Hirsch during the period encompassed by the information. She testified that during the November 26, 1986, incident, Hirsch started touching her with his finger and then got on top of her with his legs around her. The daughter then started to feel a really bad pain that was up inside [her], in her vagina. In the third incident on or about December 25, 1986, the daughter testified Hirsch started touching her with his hands and got on top of her again; this time she hurt and... hurt ... hurt inside. Although the daughter did not use the word penetration, her testimony was nonetheless sufficient to show that penetration occurred. In Brown, supra, we sustained the conviction of a defendant charged with first degree sexual assault on a 9-year-old victim. We refused to require that a youthful victim testify about an act of cunnilingus in vocabulary used by a gynecologist or provide the type of detailed description which might otherwise be found in some sordid novel. Hirsch argues that the daughter's testimony is contradicted by her interview with Mullen in which the daughter stated that Hirsch put his private against her private and that it hurt a lot. Mullen, however, testified that although she had difficulty understanding if Hirsch actually penetrated or not, the daughter did describe that it hurt a lot. Mullen further elaborated that it's difficult for [children] to say penetration or not. They can say exactly what happened and they can say it hurt a lot, but ... they may not be aware if it was inside their body, or outside their body or partially inside their body.... When Mullen was asked if the daughter had told her that she (the daughter) did not know if Hirsch had ever penetrated her or not, Mullen responded that she did not remember the daughter denying penetration. What Mullen did recall is the very common description of putting the penis against the private opening and it hurting. Mullen testified that when she asked the daughter if Hirsch had penetrated her, the daughter replied that it hurt, but she did not know. She could describe the pressure, but she did not answer specifically that Hirsch had or had not penetrated her. Moreover, Hirsch ignores Monteleone's testimony. Monteleone found abnormalities indicating that the daughter had been vaginally penetrated, although he could not tell what had penetrated her or when she had been penetrated. He described a distortion in the opening and a vaginal or hymenal tag in one corner of the daughter's hymen, along with synechiae associated with irritation of the vagina. Monteleone testified that these injuries could have transpired 2, 3, or 4 years ago. In addition, Ballenger testified that while the medical records did not mention penetration and that the daughter had never mentioned penetration during her disclosures in her third stay at the hospital, she had, at that point, only disclosed the showering incidents that had occurred with Hirsch. Instead, Hirsch argues that the daughter had a history of sticking foreign objects into her vagina. There was some testimony that the wife had told several witnesses that the daughter had inserted an object into her vagina. However, the wife denied telling anyone that the pencil had been inserted. She described observing the daughter when the daughter was about 2 years old with a pencil in between her legs, but the pencil was never inserted. The daughter testified that she did not recall ever sticking any foreign object into her vagina. Hirsch also relies on the testimony of Flearl, who examined the daughter when spots of blood were found on her underwear. Flearl could not be specific as to the causes of the spotting but was sure that the daughter was not bleeding from the inside. Despite this diagnosis, Flearl stated it was a question in her mind where the blood came from. It was Monteleone's view that Flearl had made a mistake in not examining the cause of blood.