More than three quarters of the Dutch population believes that sex without mutual consent should be seen as rape. Nine out of ten Dutch people surveyed also consider sex to be rape if the victim ‘froze’ or was under the influence. Amnesty International reports this on the basis of research by I&O Research among more than 2,000 Dutch people aged sixteen and older.
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Among men, 11 percent say it is a mitigating circumstance if the victim does not explicitly defend himself or say no clearly. One in five men between the ages of 16 and 35 believe that.
The research was conducted in the context of the campaign #LetsTalkAboutYES that starts in the Netherlands on Monday. In doing so, Amnesty wants to initiate a dialogue about sex and consent, especially among young people. The organization also asks for attention for a bill by Minister Ferd Grapperhaus (Justice and Security). Grapperhaus wants to introduce a new crime: sex against the will. That crime should be less severely punished. According to Amnesty, sex without consent should not only be punishable, but also be recognized as rape.
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