ABSTRACT
The paper presents the regulation of sex crimes in medieval Serbia, focusing on the fourteenth century and the reign of the Emperor (Tsar) Stefan Dušan. It shows the differences between the laws of mainland Serbia and the Mediterranean communes under its rule: the cities of Kotor (Catharo), Skadar (Scutari) and Budva (Budua). Serbian law at the time was a symbiosis of Slavic customary law and written law heavily influenced by the Eastern Roman Empire. The cities’ law was much more similar to that of other Mediterranean communes, with strong influences from Venice and Dubrovnik (Ragusa), and the legacy of Roman law coming from the West. Still, similarities can be noticed – e.g. differences in punishment depending on the victim’s status – and the paper strives to show whether they are the result of the same influences and legal transplants, or merely similar principles applied in similar circumstances. The main focus of the paper is the regulation of rape; other sex crimes are summarily covered.
