French parliament considers adding consent to rape law in penal code

Many countries require consent to be given prior to sexual intercourse and have included it in their law on rape. France is about to follow suit thanks to the work of two elected women: the National Assembly has passed a bill that expands the definition of rape to include non-consensual penetration.

The lower house has approved an amendment that introduces the notion of 'consent', after a debate that lasted years and which influenced the trial of Gisèle Pelicot

Discussed this Tuesday, April 1st in the National Assembly, the addition of the concept of consent in the criminal definition of rape provokes debate. Some welcome a major legal breakthrough, while others...

On Tuesday at first reading, MPs adopted a bill incorporating non-consentation into the criminal definition of rape, a text with a strong symbolic scope but which divides lawyers and feminist associations. ...

A trans-party text must be voted on Tuesday in the Assembly. It is a tool against the "culture of rape", and it is a source of concern for elected officials and lawyers, who fear that it may turn against the victims.

French bill seeks to close consent loopholes in sexual assault law

French lawmakers are debating a major change to how rape is defined in the country’s penal code – an amendment that would make it clear that sex without consent is a crime.