The “Only yes means yes” law was introduced in a context of increasing cases of sexual violence in Spain. Let`s talk in detail about the “Only yes means yes” law and the Gangrape case that required legislation in Spain: and this means that non-consensual sex can be considered an assault and can be punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The new law, which has long been supported by assault survivors and women`s rights groups, has been dubbed the “Yes Only Means Yes” law because it defines all sexual acts without clear consent as rape. Spain`s Congress on Thursday passed a “yes is yes” law that qualifies any non-consensual sexual intercourse as rape. Under the new law, consent must be affirmed and cannot be presumed to have been given by default, passivity or silence. `Only yes means yes` removes the distinction between sexual abuse and sexual assault (rape) by explicitly stating that consent is the deciding factor,” The Guardian explained. Spain and Sweden will continue to work towards a more equal society during their EU Presidency in 2023. Promoting gender equality and women`s rights means promoting democracy.ðªð ̧ ðªðº ð ̧ðª #FeministForeignPolicyt.co/bhAPvWILNk The law, described as “Only yes means yes”, was adopted by 205 votes in favour, 141 against and three abstentions. In a tweet celebrating the farewell, Spanish Equality Minister Irene Montero thanked the “feminist parliamentary majority that made this possible” and added the hashtag #SoloSíesSí – or “only yes is yes”. The “guarantee of sexual freedom” or “only yes means yes” law passed with 205 votes in favour, 141 against and 3 abstentions, The Guardian reported. Spain`s rape laws have been strengthened by a new legal definition based on explicit consent after parliament passed a long-awaited law titled “Only yes means yes.” The “Only yes means yes” law erases the difference between abuse and aggression. Spain`s Congress passed a law called “Only yes means yes,” which was drafted after the 2016 gang rape. The bill, known as the “Only yes means yes” law, received the green light from parliament with 205 votes in favor and 141 against, after passing its first reading by the legislature in May.
Spain has adopted a new law that requires explicit consent in sexual relations. The law – widely known as the “Only yes means yes” law – passed with 205 votes in favour, 141 against and three abstentions. Two of the men filmed the assault, in which the woman is shown silently and passively – a fact the judges interpreted as consent. New laws are being passed after “years of struggle” and the national outcry that followed the 2016 gang rape. “We hope this will lead to a change in behaviour,” both in Spain and beyond, she told AFP. The law has been hailed as a victory for rape victims and reform activists. Under the new legislation, Spain now defines rape as “sexual intercourse without clear consent.” AFP “Finally, our country legally recognises that consent must be at the heart of all our relations,” said Equality Minister Irene Montero. Around 1 in 20 women aged 15 or over in the European Union have been raped, or about 9 million women, the human rights organisation said in 2018.
One in 10 women aged 15 or older has experienced some form of sexual violence, she added. Spain`s lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a law requiring sexual consent to be explicit, rather than something that can be assumed to have been given by silence or default — in a move that could classify non-consensual sex as rape, according to Spanish media. The new law was drafted after five men raped an 18-year-old woman during the 2016 bull racing festival in Pamplona, a notorious crime that has since become known as the “wolf pack” attack. In June, French Senator Esther Benbassa proposed a law inspired by the Spanish principle “only yes is yes” that would require explicit consent for sexual acts. Montero said Spain was also inspired by groundbreaking laws that came into effect in Sweden in 2018 that consider any sexual act without explicit consent as rape. “No woman will ever have to prove violence or intimidation for it to be a sexual assault.” Only 12 European countries – Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Sweden and the United Kingdom – out of the 31 countries analysed by Amnesty International define rape as sexual intercourse without consent. Although the perpetrators were arrested the next day, they were initially convicted of the lesser crime of sexual abuse, prompting tens of thousands of people to take to the streets in protest. After another court upheld the verdict in December 2018, Spain`s Supreme Court found her guilty of rape in 2019. In addition, advertising aimed at promoting gender stereotypes or prostitution has been banned. The law states that this was done to “eliminate demand for all kinds of services related to sexual exploitation, prostitution and pornography that normalize sexual violence.” It sparked widespread outrage and mass protests in the Spanish “Me too” movement with the hashtag “I believe you.” After taking office in June 2018, socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who identifies as a feminist, promised to pass a consent law to remove ambiguity in rape cases. The new bill was presented to parliament amid a wave of public anger over the handling of a gang rape case at the San Fermin bull racing festival in Pamplona in 2016. Protesters chant slogans in Pamplona during a protest against the gang rape of an 18-year-old boy in 2016 In 2019, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict, found them guilty of rape and increased their sentences from nine to 15 years each.
The new law also strengthens rules against street harassment, expands emotional and sexual education in schools, and strengthens protection and compensation for victims of sexual violence.
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