US EditionNorway's New Consent-Based Rape Law: A Step Forward in Legal Reform
- Norwegian lawmakers passed a bill on Friday that criminalizes sexual acts without explicit consent as rape.
- The change follows similar reforms in Sweden in 2018 and Denmark in 2020, both broadening rape definitions to include lack of consent.
- Previously, Norwegian law required proof of violence, threats, or victim vulnerability to secure rape convictions, limiting prosecutorial scope.
- Justice Minister Astri Aas-Hansen said the previous law considered rape only when there was violence, threats, or exploitation of a vulnerable person.
- The new legislation aligns Norway with Nordic peers, enabling convictions based solely on absence of consent and imposing up to six years imprisonment.
32 Articles
32 Articles
The Local - No
Norway steps closer to defining rape as lack of consent
Norwegian lawmakers on Friday adopted a bill that would change the definition of rape to lack of consent, rather than the current standard focusing on violence, threats or taking advantage of a vulnerable person.
Norway has tightened its rape law and criminalized sex without explicit consent. The law means that anyone who does not have the other person's consent, either verbally or in deed, to have sexual intercourse can be prosecuted for rape, regardless of whether they used force during the sex.
Norway has strengthened its anti-rape laws by criminalizing sex without explicit consent, joining a growing group of countries that are expanding the definition of sexual assault.
The country joins the list of countries expanding the definition of sexual assault
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