One in five men between the ages of 16 and 35 consider it a mitigating factor in rape if the victim does not say no clearly. That is the conclusion of one bearing which was carried out by I&O Research on behalf of Amnesty International.
A large majority (84 percent) of the total of 2,127 Dutch men and women who were interviewed believe that there are no mitigating circumstances for rape. However, 11 percent of the men think it is important if the victim does not explicitly defend himself or does not say no clearly. This percentage is therefore considerably higher among the young men surveyed: 20 percent.
Amnesty International commissioned I&O Research to find out how the Dutch view rape. This was prompted by a new bill from Minister Grapperhaus of Justice and Security. Amnesty does not think that proposal goes far enough.
Current law says that rape does not exist until violence or coercion can be proven. Grapperhaus wants to introduce a new offense: sex against the will, which would face half of the sentence for rape. Amnesty believes that sex without consent should also be recognized as rape.
Amnesty: ‘It’s not about no is no, but yes is yes’
In the survey, one in five women surveyed said that someone once entered her body without consent. Two thirds of this group think that this was rape. Three quarters of the respondents believe that penetration without mutual consent is rape, even though coercion or violence cannot be demonstrated. For example, if the victim is under the influence or freezes from fear, the so-called ‘freezing’.
According to Martine Goeman, head of the gender program of Amnesty Netherlands, this research shows how important it is that sex without consent is also recognized as rape by law. “It is not about no is no, but yes is yes. That does justice to victims. Rape is a gross human rights violation. It is high time that the law was amended. The Dutch population is ready for it,” says Goeman.
– .
