Overview
- The justice ministry has sent Hubig’s draft to Bundestag committees for review, starting formal parliamentary deliberation rather than immediate passage.
- Her plan would lengthen the rape statute of limitations from five to twenty years and define consent as an explicit, affirmative agreement so that only a clear “yes” counts.
- Hubig argues the reforms would protect victims who freeze or cannot voice refusal during an assault and cited other European countries that use similar consent rules as examples.
- Political reactions are split: SPD lawmakers signaled openness, the Greens previously proposed similar changes, and representatives from the Union and AfD expressed skepticism.
- If adopted, the changes could give survivors more time to bring cases and change how courts assess consent, while committee work will determine the final scope and legal wording; the proposal builds on Germany’s 2016 move from a resistance‑based standard to “No Means No.”