France Passes Landmark Law Redefining Rape, Centering Consent

Strategic Insights -

French lawmakers have taken a historic step by passing a new consent-based law redefining rape, in the wake of the highly publicized Gisele Pelicot case. The law, which was passed in France's Senate with a unanimous vote, defines consent as "freely given, informed, specific, prior and revocable," and explicitly states that any non-consensual sexual act constitutes sexual assault. The passage of this law marks a significant shift away from the previous definition of rape, which solely focused on penetration or oral sex using violence, coercion, threat, or surprise.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new law defines consent as "freely given, informed, specific, prior and revocable," marking a significant shift from the previous definition of rape.
  • The law explicitly states that any non-consensual sexual act constitutes sexual assault, making it clear that silence or lack of reaction cannot be inferred as consent.
  • The passage of this law was unanimous in France's Senate, with 327 votes in favor and 15 abstentions.
  • The new law comes in the wake of the highly publicized Gisele Pelicot case, in which a woman was serially raped after being drugged by her husband and multiple other men.
  • The law was sponsored by centrist lawmaker Veronique Riotton, who stated that its passage marks a step away from a culture of rape to a culture of consent.
  • The bill has been praised by advocacy groups, including Amnesty International France, which noted that it is only one step towards ending impunity for gender-based and sexual violence.
  • Other advocacy groups, such as CIDFF, have called for improved sex education, special training for police and investigators, and augmented resources for support groups.

Statistics:

  • 327: The number of votes in favor of the bill in the French Senate.
  • 1: The number of woman who was serially raped in the Gisele Pelicot case.
  • 50: The number of men who raped Gisele Pelicot after being invited by her husband.
  • 20: The number of years Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to prison for his crimes.
  • 15: The number of years the longest sentence given to one of the men involved in the case.
  • 3: The number of years the shortest sentence given to one of the men involved in the case.
  • 10: The number of years the harsher sentence given to the man who appealed the verdict.

Sources:

  • "France passes law defining rape as any non-consensual sex act" - Amnesty International
  • "France Votes to Redefine Rape" - The New York Times
  • "France's parliament votes to redefine rape" - BBC News
  • "Gisele Pelicot case: France passes new law on rape definition" - CNN