Overview

• The Senate’s unanimous vote on June 18 follows the National Assembly’s April approval and signals broad parliamentary consensus.
• The amendment treats rape and other sexual assaults as any non-consensual sexual act, aligning France with European precedents.
• The text stipulates consent must be free, informed, specific, prior and revocable, and it cannot be inferred from silence.
• Minor wording differences between the two chambers will be addressed by a commission mixte paritaire ahead of definitive adoption.
• Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and feminist organizations have welcomed the reform as a crucial step toward shifting from a culture of rape to a culture of consent.