US EditionEuropean Parliament Urges EU-Wide Consent-Based Rape Law
Lawmakers said the change would close loopholes that let prosecutors rely on force, with 17 of 27 member states already using consent-based rules.
- On Tuesday, the European Parliament approved a resolution calling for an EU-wide definition of rape based on freely given and informed consent, passing with 447 votes in favor, 160 against, and 43 abstentions.
- Currently, 17 of 27 member states define rape through consent, while others still require proof of violence or threats, creating inconsistent protections across borders and leaving victims vulnerable to divergent judicial interpretations.
- MEP Joanna Scheruring-Wielgus argued only one in seven victims reports crimes, stating "if those who committed the crime are not punished, then we have a serious problem." Around 5% of women in the EU have experienced rape since age 15.
- The proposal aligns with the Istanbul Convention, ratified by 22 EU countries, and now falls to the European Commission to propose legislation requiring approval from member states to become binding law.
- Some member states, including France, argue that criminal law remains a national competence, suggesting the European Commission may face significant political hurdles in securing harmonized definitions across the diverse bloc.
87 Articles
87 Articles
EU: Parliament Confirms That ‘Only Yes Means Yes’
The European Parliament adopted on Tuesday a resolution calling on the European Commission to make consent the determining factor in rape legislation across the EU, with 447 members voting “for,” 160 “against,” and 43 abstaining.
The EU Parliament calls for a Europe-wide sexual criminal law based on the controversial Spanish model. This so-called "only-yes-yes-yes" law, however, led to more than 100 convicted sex offenders being released prematurely and received nearly 1,000 further massive penalties. Despite this judicial disaster, Brussels ignores the dramatic warning signals and now wants to impose legal madness on all member states. With 447 to 160 votes, the EU Parl…
The European Parliament wants uniform rules against sexual violence – but opinions in Germany differ.
Strong controversy within the European Parliament (EP) over what could be the germ of a Community law similar to the law of the only yes is yes, following this Tuesday's endorsement of the report promoted by the socialist group that calls on the Commission to classify rape based on the absence of consent as a crime in the whole of the European Union (EU). This has been warned by the head of the delegation of Vox in Brussels, Jorge Buxade, who de…
MEPs call for consensus-based sex criminal law. Rapporteur Evin Incir strongly criticizes Germany's previous blockade attitude.
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