France Redefinesโ Rape as Non-Consensual โAct in landmark Legal Shift
PARIS (AP) โ – France has enacted a law defining โฃrape as any sexual act without clear consent,moving away from aโข previous legal definition that required proof of violence,coercion,or threat. The bill, which became law โthrough official publication, represents a โขnotable overhaul of french sexualโ assault legislationโ and aligns the country with numerous other European nations, includingโค Germany, Belgium,โข and Spain.
For decades,French law stipulated that rape involved penetration or oral sex accomplished through โ”violence,coercion,threat or surprise.” โThis new legislation centers consent as the defining factor, aiming to address โฃambiguities and improve prosecution rates inโค sexual assaultโ cases.The change comes amid aโฃ growing global movement to prioritize consent-based definitions of sexual assault and follows other recent steps by France toโข strengthen its response to โsexual misconduct, including setting 15 as the โฃage of consent.
The legislative shift โคarrives following โขa highlyโ publicized and unprecedented trial involving Gisรจle Pelicot, who was subjected โขto years of sexual assault byโข her ex-husband and a network of accomplices. In December, Pelicot’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, and 50 otherโข men were convicted of sexually assaulting her between โฃ2011 and 2020 โคwhile she was โฃunder chemical โขsubmission. Dominique Pelicot received a 20-year prison sentence, with other defendants receiving sentences ranging from three to โ15 years. An appeals court recently increasedโ the sentence for the sole defendant who contested his conviction to 10 years.
The Pelicot case exposed a disturbing undercurrent of pornography consumption, online interactions, and a disregard for consent that authorities say fuels rape culture. Theโข harrowing details of the trial brought widespread attention to the challenges faced by victims of sexual assault and the need for legal reforms.
Gisรจle Pelicot has โขemerged as a prominent advocate in the fightโข against sexual violence, and the new law is โwidely โseen as a direct result of her courage in bringing herโ case forward. Legal experts anticipate the change will empower prosecutors and provide greater legal protection for victims of sexual assault across France.
