A Man's Rape Conviction Was Overturned Due to His 'Sexsomnia'

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published 21 September 2014

Mikael Halvarsson, a 26-year-old Swedish man sentenced to two years in prison for raping a woman has had his conviction overturned. Why? He was asleep when it happened.

According to experts, Halvarsson suffers from "sexsomnia," a state in which a person can have sex while sleeping. A northern Sweden appeals court overruled the previous sentence because they believe it wasn't his intention to have sex and "was in a state of sleepiness, unconscious of what was happening, [and that] does not seem absurd."

The decision was made after doctors who specialize in sleeping disorders intervened and an ex-girlfriend came forward saying that he had previously attempted to have sex with her while she was sleeping. When she stopped him, he acted confused and asked what had happened. His mother also confirmed he had dysfunctional sleeping patterns before.

This isn't the first time a person has been acquitted for "sexsomnia," which is why we're puzzled that the medical condition has not been widely studied or even recognized. No disrespect to those who suffer from the disorder, but we'd love to know what protection is in place for their victims.

[ABC News]

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Lauren is the former beauty editor at Marie Claire. She love to while away the hours at coffee shops, hunt for vintage clothes, and bask in the rough-and-tumble beauty of NYC. She firmly believes that solitude can be a luxury if you’ve got the right soundtrack—that being the Rolling Stones, of course.