What must occur for evidence of a victim's sexual reputation to be considered admissible in civil cases?

In civil cases, for evidence of a victim's sexual reputation to be admissible, it must be placed in controversy by the victim. This principle is grounded in the idea that a victim must first raise issues regarding their sexual history or reputation before such evidence can be introduced. The rationale behind this requirement is to maintain fairness and limit unnecessary character attacks that may not be pertinent to the case at hand. If a victim's sexual reputation is not in controversy, introducing such evidence could distract from the main issues of the case and lead to prejudicial impacts rather than helping to clarify factual matters.

In contrast, considerations like the relevance of the reputation to the victim's actions or corroboration by witnesses do not provide a sufficient basis for admissibility without the victim first placing their sexual reputation at the center of the controversy. Similarly, public knowledge of the reputation does not inherently justify its introduction in court unless the victim has made that aspect an issue in the proceedings. Therefore, the requirement that the victim's sexual reputation must be put in controversy reflects a careful balance between evidentiary relevance and the protection of individuals from unnecessary reputational harm in civil litigation.