When communal violence broke out in Manipur three years ago, incidents of physical and sexual violence made their way to our news feeds. I examine how lacunae in key laws continue to undermine women’s consent. While women may seek civil remedies under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the denial of criminal redress for rape entrenches a hierarchy in which marital status overrides bodily integrity. If the objective is to protect women, lowering their marriage age defeats that purpose. This rests on the presumption that women’s sexual consent is tied to the expectation of marriage.