The former Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men recommends the introduction into the relevant article of the Penal Code, “a first paragraph which says that any act of sexual penetration not freely consented constitutes rape”.
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“Giving in is not consenting, that’s what we need to understand”supports Isabelle Rome, Friday September 27 on franceinfo. The magistrate and former Minister Delegate in charge of Equality between Women and Men spoke of the importance of including this notion of consent in French law on rape.
It recommends the introduction into the relevant article of the Penal Code, “a first paragraph which says that any act of sexual penetration not freely consented constitutes rape”. And that in the event of violence, coercion, threat or surprise, “there is, in these cases, a presumption of non-consent”.
The magistrate denounces “too many procedures which result in dismissals or dismissals due to insufficient evidence”. For her, this notion can change the course of interrogations. “It will be the defendant who will be asked to explain how he managed to be sure that the victim consented.”
It also highlights a role “extremely important for educational purposes in society” by integrating consent into rape law. “We are going to talk more about consent to our adolescents, we are going to tell them that the body of the other does not belong to them and that we must be sure of the agreement of the other before considering any relationship”. For Isabelle Rome this can allow French society to be “more responsible” And “more egalitarian in relationships”.