US EditionEU’s ‘Yes Means Yes’ Rape Definition Seeks to Close Loopholes Allowing Rapists to Walk Free
The resolution passed 447-160-43 and would make silence or lack of resistance insufficient to show consent across the bloc.
- 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.
54 Articles
54 Articles
KEZI 9 News
European lawmakers voted to define sex without active consent as rape, marking a historic step for the rights of women and survivors of sexual violence in the European Union.
EU seeks to close loopholes allowing rapists to walk free
European Parliament lawmakers voted on Tuesday in favour of a consent-based definition of rape - known as "only yes means yes" - and urged the European Commission to propose legislation establishing EU-wide rules. The EU adopted minimum standards to combat violence against women for the first time in 2024, but a proposed article to create a common definition of rape was dropped after opposition from several member states. "Silence, lack of resis…
EU’s ‘yes means yes’ rape definition seeks to close loopholes allowing rapists to walk free
European lawmakers have voted in favor of defining sex without active consent as rape, marking a historic step for women’s rights and survivors of sexual violence in the EU.
Parliamentarians demand that the principle of "yes only means yes" should apply throughout the Union in order to define a rape. In Germany, there has been a different approach so far.
All Member States should punish sexual acts without explicit consent – that is what the European Parliament demands. In German sex law, "no" is still valid.
The EU Parliament calls for a uniform definition of rape according to the principle "Yes only means Yes". The Greens welcome the advance, the FPÖ is strongly critical.
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