France Ready to Amend Legislation Following Mass Rape

France may change its rape laws, for the first time including the need for consent to sexual intercourse.

This was reported by Reuters, reports "European Pravda".

Earlier, France was rocked by a mass rape trial, prompting some leading politicians to call for changes.

Dominique Pelicot admitted that he drugged his wife for years and found dozens of men online who raped her while she was unconscious – 50 men appeared in court with him.

Despite the video evidence against them, at least 35 defendants have denied the rape charges, claiming Pelico tricked them into believing they were engaging in a sex game. They also claimed Gisèle Pelico may have been faking the dream.

The agency noted that French Justice Minister Didier Migault recently said he was in favor of updating the law, as has President Emmanuel Macron.

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As is known, in 2023, France blocked the inclusion of a definition of rape through non-consensual sex in an EU directive.

Similar laws already exist in Sweden, Germany, Spain, the UK and more than 12 other European countries.

However, as the agency writes, French criminal law defines rape as an act of penetration or oral sex committed against someone using "violence, coercion, threat or surprise."

It does not explicitly mention the need for the partner's consent, and prosecutors must prove intent to rape to obtain a guilty verdict, legal experts note.

Now the parliamentary delegation for women's rights, a cross-party working group of 36 lawmakers, has resumed work on a bill that would revise the legal definition of rape.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of French cities in support of Gisèle Pélicot.

71-year-old Dominique Pélicot, as reported earlier, admitted his guilt. The case became a cause celebre both in France and abroad, and the victim Gisele, who demanded a public trial, became an icon of feminism.

Prepared by: Nina Petrovich