Monica

It seems to me an important detail here is not just that that the crowd at Lot's door wanted to rape the visitors, but that they felt entitled to. All of these examples from mishna and g'mara are not just of people doing wrong, but of a whole society – from the civil institutions such as the courts to the general sentiment of the populace – that has no use for justice. The S'dom being described is a society where might makes right, and strong not only get away with preying on the weak, but there's nothing saying they're wrong to – and they even believe (and this is ensorsed by the norms of this society) it is their prerogative to do so. Most extreme, this society has made a crime of justice, defending the rule of might-make-right by punishing those who defy it to commit acts of kindness or charity.