Overview
- The draft rewrites article 609-bis to punish sexual acts without the other person's “free and current” consent with 6 to 12 years in prison.
- Coercion-based modes remain listed, and liability extends to exploiting the victim’s particular vulnerability as defined in article 90-quater.
- The Justice Committee approved the bipartisan text unanimously, presented by Michela Di Biase (PD) and Carolina Varchi (FdI) after talks involving Giorgia Meloni and Elly Schlein.
- The measure retains a mitigation clause allowing sentences to be reduced by up to two thirds in less grave cases.
- Legal observers say the change aligns Italy with the Istanbul Convention and shifts courtroom focus to establishing whether consent existed throughout the act; a full Chamber vote is scheduled next week.