A Pennsylvania groom’s alleged sexual assault of one of his wife’s bridesmaids days before their wedding made national headlines. But experts say that while it may be unusual for a groom to be the alleged assailant, sexual violence at weddings and similar events may be more common than people realize, NBC News reports.
"There are some unique circumstances surrounding a wedding that someone could exploit easily" to commit sexual assault, said Kristen Houser of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
An inherent sense of trust among a wedding’s guests; a sense of lightheartedness; the free flow of alcohol — all of these can be ingredients for an act of sexual violence, Houser said.
Often people associate such risk factors with college campuses, but weddings aren’t much different, she said.