France Becomes Latest European Country to Enshrine Consent in Rape Law

The French Senate approved a bill defining rape and sexual assault as any non-consensual act, joining other European countries in making consent a central principle of rape law. The bill, which passed with 327 votes and 15 abstentions, updates France's criminal code to state that consent must be "freely given, informed, specific, prior, and revocable." This change is seen as a major milestone in the fight against rape and sexual assault, and several other European countries have already enshrined consent in their rape laws.

Key Takeaways:

• The French Senate approved a bill defining rape and sexual assault as any non-consensual act, making France the latest European country to enshrine consent in its rape law.
• The bill updates France's criminal code to state that consent must be "freely given, informed, specific, prior, and revocable."
• Several other European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, have already enshrined consent in their rape laws.
• The bill's proponents argue that it will shift the burden onto offenders to prove there was consent, and will clarify the law to remind people what constitutes sexuality and violence.
• Lawmakers have been working to add consent to France's rape law since 2023, but the efforts gained momentum with the high-profile Pelicot trial last year.
• The trial's outcome led a parliamentary report to call for making affirmative consent central to the definition of rape.

Statistics:

• 327 votes in favor of the bill in the French Senate
• 15 abstentions in the French Senate
• 51 men convicted of abusing Pelicot while she was unconscious
• Several other European countries have already enshrined consent in their rape laws

Sources:

• "French Senate passes bill on consent in rape" ( Britannica News)
• Radio France Internationale - "France passes bill with consent as central to rape law" ( with newswires)
• Radio France Internationale - All rights of reproduction and distribution reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( )
• Parliamentarians Véronique Riotton and Marie-Charlotte Garin's report on the Pelicot trial
• Other European countries' rape laws:

+ Belgium

+ Denmark

+ Greece

+ Ireland

+ The Netherlands

+ Spain