Betrayal Season 5, Episode 8: “Love Is No Defense | Saskia's Story”
Podcast: Betrayal (iHeartPodcasts | Glass Podcasts)
Date: March 19, 2026
Host: Andrea Gunning
Episode Overview
In this pivotal episode, Betrayal returns to the harrowing story of Saskia Inwood, a woman whose life was upended after discovering her husband, Mike Levengood, led a secret life as a serial sexual abuser. The episode doesn’t just recount her discovery and legal battle; it dives into Maryland’s historic marital rape exemption law—how it allowed Mike to escape significant punishment, the broader legal and cultural implications, and the years-long fight to overturn it. Through court audio, expert interviews, legislative testimony, and survivor voices, the episode powerfully exposes why being married was once a legal shield for rapists in the U.S., how that changed in Maryland, and the ongoing battle for full justice nationwide.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Divorce Trial & Mike’s Contradictions
- [03:13-08:45] Audio from Saskia’s divorce trial reveals the agonizing paradox in Maryland’s legal system at the time: Mike had already pled guilty to rape in criminal court, yet claimed under oath that all acts were consensual.
- Mike’s Denial: During cross-examination, Mike insists, “I maintain they were consensual, absolutely.” ([03:51])
- Attorney’s Challenge: Saskia’s attorney points out the contradiction: “Your plea agreement was that you were pleading guilty because you are, in fact, guilty of rape. They can’t both be true.” ([05:37])
- Mike’s Rationalization: Mike attempts to minimize his guilt by focusing on the technicality that led to his conviction, saying, “I absolutely pled guilty to that act of moving her leg while she was unconscious, semi-consciousness... I don't believe in my heart that I did that. I raped her.” ([08:05], [08:45])
2. The Marital Rape Exemption—History and Impact
- [09:42-14:41] The episode details the marital rape exemption’s origin and pervasive grip in many states.
- Legal Context: Prosecutor Debbie Feinstein explains: “It’s 100% a case that sticks with me because we weren’t able to really accomplish full justice.” ([09:42])
- Historical Roots: Lori Ruth, a policy director, traces the marital rape exemption to 1600s English law when women were considered chattel: “Once you married, the husband could do whatever he wanted to the wife because she was like a table, your horse, your teapot. That’s chattel. That’s property.” ([11:04])
- National Scope: Stefan Turkheimer of RAINN lays out why these laws are so damaging: “Every single survivor can see this and be like, the law doesn’t recognize my experience. They say that I’m to blame, that I’m not worthy of protection.” ([15:03])
3. Challenges for Prosecutors and Advocates
- [15:47-18:00] Prosecutors like Feinstein felt handcuffed—able to press only a fraction of possible charges because of an archaic law.
- Reduced Justice: “He got a substantially reduced sentence of incarceration. Really? Because the meat and potatoes, the heart of the case, was taken out from under us because of the spousal defense to rape.” ([16:00])
- Advocacy Spark: “The ones where we can’t get to the full right outcome, they live within us, but they also drive advocacy...” ([16:30])
4. Legislative Battles to Change the Law
- [20:35-34:02] The fight in Maryland’s legislature to abolish marital rape exemption spanned years and faced formidable resistance:
- Legislative Debate: Lawmakers were especially concerned about “lower tier” sexual offenses, fearing changes would criminalize “innocuous” spousal behavior.
- One skeptical legislator: “What you’re saying is under this bill, the husband would have to get consent?... Now she can say, I’m going to prosecute you for a fourth degree sex offense.” ([23:50])
- Misogyny & Myths: Ruth bluntly exposes the real root: “There is a deep, deeply seated misogyny at play. Logic? I don’t think so.” ([26:08])
- Advocacy Frustration: Advocates struggle against deeply ingrained myths that women fabricate allegations to use in custody battles or overwhelm the court system.
- “How can we know that she’s not lying?... To get a leg up in a custody suit. That is a real barrier to getting bills passed.” ([24:37])
5. The Power & Pain of Survivor Testimony
- [27:57-37:04] The barriers and importance of survivor voices in legislative change:
- Reluctance to Testify: Saskia herself was too traumatized and vulnerable to testify during her proceedings. “I was a shell of a person at that point. I couldn’t have gone through the steps of describing what had happened.” ([28:39])
- Breakthrough in 2023: A survivor’s first-person testimony dramatically shifted the debate:
- Survivor Testifies: “Less than a year ago, I was raped by my husband, and under the existing law, what he did was legal rape... this law treats spouses as objects, not people. This is your law, and this is rape... please, I implore you, make the right decision.” ([35:12])
- Legislative Impact: “Those legislators had to look her in the eye and hear an absolutely horrific story.” ([37:04])
- Immediate Gratitude: Legislators respond: “I just want to say thank you. That’s the most impactful testimony I’ve ever heard on this bill.” ([37:21])
6. Victory—and National Implications
- [37:53-39:22] After years of work, Maryland repeals its marital rape exemption.
- Unanimous Vote: “The bill passed the House and the Senate without a single no vote. Today, the law that allowed Mike Levengood to get off easy no longer exists in Maryland.” ([37:53])
- Wider Change: In the last five years, reforms have passed in numerous states.
7. Ongoing Challenges
- [38:27-39:54] The United States has made progress, but the fight isn’t over.
- Limited Progress: “Are the laws progressing? Yes... Is it where it needs to [be]? No.” ([38:27])
- Saskia’s Reflection: Upon hearing the exemption was finally repealed: “It makes me feel relieved that I went through all of that. Not in vain, that there’s something good that came out of it, but look how much damage has already been done.” ([39:22])
- Mike’s Continued Denial: “I don’t believe in my heart that I did that. That I raped her.” ([39:54])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Mike Levengood (on the stand): “I don’t believe in my heart that I did that. I raped her.” ([08:45], [39:54])
- Lori Ruth: “What kind of marriage do you have that you actually think that’s going to happen?” ([24:17])
- Stefan Turkheimer: “People don’t really get motivated by stats, not really. They only get motivated by people and stories and how they make them feel.” ([29:07])
- Anonymous Survivor: “This law treats spouses as objects, not people. This is your law, and this is rape... please, I implore you, make the right decision.” ([35:18])
- Debbie Feinstein: “We’re basically penalizing someone for being married.” ([26:01])
- Lori Ruth: “There is a deep, deeply seated misogyny at play. Logic? I don’t think so.” ([26:08])
Key Timestamps
- 03:13 – Divorce trial audio: Mike denies rape despite guilty plea
- 09:42 – Prosecutor Debbie Feinstein reflects on the limits of justice
- 11:04 – Lori Ruth explains the historical origins of the marital rape exemption
- 14:41 – Stefan Turkheimer discusses national prevalence and harm
- 16:00 – Prosecutors lament limited charges due to legal loophole
- 22:07 – Maryland legislative session: The “Love Is No Defense” bill is introduced
- 23:50 – Lawmakers voice fears about criminalizing marital intimacy
- 28:39 – Saskia’s vulnerability prevents her from testifying
- 35:12 – Historic survivor testimony shifts the legislative tide
- 37:53 – Maryland finally repeals the exemption: “The law...no longer exists”
- 39:22 – Saskia’s mixed emotions: Relief and sadness for past suffering
- 39:54 – Mike maintains denial of rape
Tone and Language
The episode is sober, passionate, and direct—often heart-wrenching but threaded with hope and resolve. Survivors, advocates, and hosts speak plainly about the failures and progress of the legal system, sharing both anguish and the fuel for systemic change.
Closing Thoughts
“Love Is No Defense” doesn’t just tell Saskia’s story—it exposes a legacy of injustice embedded in American law, showing how one woman’s agony, and the tireless work of survivors and advocates, forged real change. Yet it concludes with a sobering reminder: legal reform is only a beginning, not a cure for harm already endured, nor a guarantee of equal protection for all. The episode urges listeners to remain vigilant, informed, and compassionate—and, above all, to listen to and believe survivors.
For more information on state laws or support resources:
