Sexual assault was a common occurrence in the Middle Ages, and it was often dealt with in a harsh and unjust manner. In her book "The Middle Ages: A Very Short Introduction", historian Elizabeth A. R. Brown writes that "rape and sexual assault were endemic in medieval society." She attributes this to a number of factors, including the fact that women were seen as property and men had few legal consequences for their actions.

In the Middle Ages, the law did not recognize rape or sexual assault as a crime against the individual woman; rather, it was seen as a crime against the woman's family or husband. This meant that in order for a woman to obtain justice, she had to rely on the support of her family or husband. If she did not have this support, she was unlikely to receive justice at all.

Even if a woman did have the support of her family or husband, the legal process was often long and arduous. The woman had to prove that she had been assaulted, which was often difficult to do. She also had to identify her attacker, which could be dangerous if the attacker was a powerful man.

In many cases, women were simply unable to obtain justice for sexual assault. They might be forced to marry their attacker, or they might be disowned by their family and forced to live in poverty. In some cases, women were even executed for the "crime" of being raped.

The way that sexual assault was dealt with in the Middle Ages reflected the low status of women in medieval society. Women were not seen as equal to men, and they had few legal rights. This meant that they were vulnerable to sexual assault and other forms of violence.

The harsh and unjust treatment of women in medieval society is a reminder of how far we have come in terms of women's rights. However, it is also important to remember that sexual assault is still a serious problem today. Women are still vulnerable to assault and other forms of violence, and they still face many challenges in obtaining justice.