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Italian Lawmakers Advance Consent Standard in Sexual Violence Statute After Unanimous Panel Vote

The cross-party deal moves to a full Chamber vote Monday after leader-level talks.

Overview

  • The Chamber of Deputies’ Justice Commission unanimously approved a bipartisan amendment redefining sexual violence by the absence of “free and current” consent.
  • The text sets imprisonment from six to twelve years for anyone who carries out or makes another perform sexual acts without such consent.
  • The measure retains liability for violence, threats, abuse of authority, deception by impersonation, and adds exploitation of a victim’s particular vulnerability as defined by article 90-quater.
  • A mitigation clause allows sentence reductions of up to two thirds in cases deemed of lesser gravity.
  • Relators Michela De Biase (PD) and Carolina Varchi (FdI) presented the amendment after negotiations that, according to parliamentary sources, involved Giorgia Meloni and Elly Schlein.