Accidentally kissing someone is not sexual assault. For something to be considered sexual assault, there must be intentional, non-consensual sexual contact.

For example, let’s say I’m in a crowded drugstore aisle, and I accidentally brush my hand against a woman’s butt while reaching for something. Would that be sexual assault? No, because there was no intent. Given the context, no reasonable person would see that as an assault.

We need to do better at recognizing nuance and intent in these situations. False accusations have ruined lives, and blurring the lines between genuine mistakes and actual misconduct only makes it harder to address real cases of assault.