The mandate prepared by the Civil Liberties and Women’s Rights committees includes a consent-based definition of rape, tougher rules on cyber violence, and better support for victims. It also asks for:
- case-by-case assessments for consent;
- a longer list of aggravating circumstances for offences, including those resulting in the death or suicide of dependants, crimes against a public figure, and intent to preserve or restore “honour”;
- EU rules against sexual assault, intersex genital mutilation, forced sterilisation, forced marriage, and sexual harassment in all work-related environments;
- specific rules for online crimes, including the release of intimate material and the unsolicited sending of images of genitalia;
- improved procedures to ensure victims’ safety and health, as well as free legal support; and
- enhanced reporting and evidence gathering by competent authorities.
Parliament’s plenary approved the report without a vote, in line with its rules of procedure. You can read the adopted text here.
Press conference with Parliament’s negotiators
A press conference with Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Ireland), lead MEP for the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, and Evin Incir (S&D, Sweden), lead MEP for the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, is scheduled for 11:00 CEST at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Find out more here.
Next steps
Parliament will start negotiations with Council on Thursday. Member states agreed on their position on 9 June.
