"Naturally everything else would have to fall into place with consent. It is simply absurd to even pretend consent is being upheld, when a slavery status is maintained anyway on all or most remaining aspects, permanently undermining the capacity to consent and to refuze."

Agreed.

Just how uncoerced was sex for a wife in the Victorian era?

If we remove ONLY the conjugal obligation to provide "access," can we say that she has a choice? She still has no legal property which is hers to leave with. No legal status outside of wife ( unless the court annuls the marriage and reverts her to "daughter." )

Its no surprise that sexual emancipation requires legal enfranchisement, rights to own property, rights to leave at will, rights to work &tc.

Of course there IS another option that JD420 might like. In many cultures a woman was emancipated through widowhood. If we extended that "right" to children and emancipate orphans then the clear implied threat of untimely demise might force the 'rents to respect the child. ;p

Dante