Is rape considered a more severe crime than assault with a deadly weapon?
Assault with a deadly weapon comes under the heading of aggravated assault, which refers to “the threat of violence caused by an immediate show of force. … Aggravated assault is usually differentiated from simple assault by the offender’s intent (i.e., to murder, to rape etc.), the extent of the injury to the victim, or the use of a deadly weapon, although legal definitions vary between jurisdictions. Sentences for aggravated assault are generally more severe, reflecting the greater degree of harm or malice intended by the perpetrator. In many cases, the perpetrator is sentenced to life in prison, or consecutive life terms depending on how many counts of assault he or she is convicted of. There have been a few rare cases where a perpetrator who assaults someone with a deadly weapon receives the death penalty depending on how much bodily harm has been inflicted onto the victim. The average sentence for aggravated assault in the United States ranges between 30 and 90 years in prison pe
