[HIGHLIGHTS] The lack of reaction during a rape would have a neurological explanation, according to a scientific article

The lack of reaction or immobility during rape or sexual assault is certainly unintentional, according to a paper published Monday in the journal Nature. The authors, Ebani Dhawan and Patrick Haggard, researchers at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (University College London), say it could be explained by the blockage of brain circuits in response to an acute threat.

Legal definitions of rape and sexual assault are based on lack of consent, but proving consent is difficult, they recall. 70% of women who went to the emergency room after a rape recognized a "tonic immobilities" during the act, they say.