Reasonable doubt: Defences advanced in early modern sodomy trials in Geneva

There are few charges that can be made against individuals more likely to damage their lives, reputations and futures, than sexual deviance.¹ In the early modern period, the danger was even greater as the crime carried the death penalty. For those faced with the gravest of punishments, one might be inclined to suppose that there was only one sure defensive strategy: outright denial. However, before testing this hypothesis, some general information on the quality of the documentation surviving in the Genevan archives is vital. In addition, something must be said about the understanding of deviance in Geneva’s courts.