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It is illegal to falsely defame a woman's chastity.

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Added: 2026/3/18

The Law

A relic from a much more puritanical era, this statute made it a criminal misdemeanor to spread rumors about a woman's purity or sexual history. It was designed to protect the reputations of unmarried women in small pioneer towns where a vicious rumor could ruin marriage prospects. Though mostly superseded by modern civil defamation laws, the specific criminal charge existed for decades.

Source & Citation

Code/Statute: RCW 9.58.110
Revised Code of Washington - Libel and Slander

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#wa#gossip#women#chastity