delivered the opinion of the court;
James Ashford was convicted in the circuit court of Winston county of an assault upon Tina Carter with intent to ravish her. His conviction is supported solely by her testimony, discredited in some respects, yet still sufficient to be laid before the jury.Shortly after the alleged commission of the crime, she made complaint of the outrage upon her to her mother, and this was given in evidence ; and over the objection of the defendant the particulars of her complaint were laid in detail before the jury. A complaint of a crime upon one made by the injured person is admitted as original evidence only in the case of rape. The reason of the exception in cases of rape is well stated by Earl, J., in People v. O'Sullivan,
Notwithstanding Tina Carter distinctly testifies that no penetration was made, yet several instructions for the state were given, placing before them the propriety of convicting the defendant of rape. The giving of those instructions was a clear intimation to the jury that the presiding judge considered the evidence as sufficient to support a conviction for rape, and in this aspect may have had a prejudicial influence upon the jury in the making up of the verdict rendered by them.
Reversed and remanded.
