France passes law on mandatory consent to sex

Legislative innovation

The French Parliament has finally adopted a law that defines Any sexual act without explicit consent as violence.
According to the document, the consent must be “free, informed, provisional and revocable”. Silence or lack of response is no longer considered consent.

As reported by DW, The adoption of the law is aimed at strengthening the protection of victims of sexual violence and aligning French legislation with Council of Europe standards.

European context

Similar principles are already in place in a number of European countries. У Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Greece a model was introduced “Only yes means yes” - That is, only active consent means permission for sexual intercourse.

У Germany Since 2016, the rule has been in force “Nein heißt Nein” (“No means no”), which criminalises any act without the voluntary participation of a partner.

Public reaction

Human rights activists and women's organisations welcome the adoption of the law, calling it a historic step in the fight against sexual violence. At the same time, some politicians warn that case law will require clear criteria for proving lack of consent to avoid abuse.