Overview
- Parliament finalized the reform after the National Assembly’s earlier backing, with the Senate giving the decisive approval.
- The new standard classifies any non‑consensual sexual act as a criminal offence and rejects silence or lack of reaction as consent.
- Lawmakers cited the Pelicot case, in which a sedated wife was handed to others by her husband and 51 men received multi‑year sentences, as a catalyst.
- Only a minority of European countries define rape as sex without consent, with examples including Denmark, Greece, Sweden and Spain.
- Austria’s justice minister signaled plans to pursue a similar standard, while Germany maintains a 'No Means No' approach and previously blocked an EU‑wide directive.