BENTON HARBOR, MI – A Berrien County man faces four charges of sexual assault after his wife of 13 years accused him of assaulting her hundreds of times during that period.
Kraig Smith, 48, was arraigned Wednesday, April 14, on four charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Berrien County District Court.
His wife, 38, reported in May that Smith had sexually assaulted her hundreds of times during their 13-year marriage, the Michigan Attorney General’s office said in a news release.
The attorney’s general office investigated the allegations. The man’s wife said the coercive assaults starred after their marriage in December 2006, according to the release.
She said she was verbally and emotionally abused throughout the marriage and that she and their children were threatened, the release said, and was forced into unwanted sexual activity throughout the marriage.
“Coercive assault can take place in any setting; even in a marriage,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the release. “An individual should feel safe in their home with their partner.
“I hope this case encourages public awareness of coercive assault and makes clear that assault by a domestic partner is a crime that will be prosecuted,” Nessel said.
Smith has posted bond, which was set at $20,000, according to court officials. A preliminary examination is scheduled for April 27 before Berrien County District Judge Gary Bruce.
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