Contrary to the wild imaginings of Rep. Todd Akin’s fevered brain, women can and do get pregnant as a result of rape, a reality that’s horrible enough to think about even without this extra bitter layer: some rapists successfully sue for joint custody of the children they have violently fathered. Though instances of rapists seeking or even obtaining joint custody are apparently pretty rare, only 19 states have laws restricting the parental rights of men who father children through rape — everywhere else, men are technically allowed to seek such rights, and even if they don’t intend on actually being part of their child’s life, rapists have been known use the threat of joint custody as a way to blackmail their victims into not filing criminal charges. Now would be a great time to pause for a few minutes and let the rage bile boil up through your esophagus like an agitated hot spring. READ MORE HERE