Spain says all non-consensual sex is rape in new ‘yes means yes’ law
- The overhaul of sex crime laws comes five years after an infamous ‘wolf-pack’ case, in which five men raped a teenager at Pamplona’s bull-running festival
- The law will bring Spain into line with 11 other European countries, including Sweden, Portugal and Britain, that use similar legal definitions
The Spanish government on Tuesday approved a law to define all non-consensual sex as rape, part of a legislative overhaul that toughens penalties for sexual harassment and mandates more support systems for victims.
It approved the bill five years after what became known as the “wolf-pack” case, in which five men gang-raped an 18-year-old woman at Pamplona’s bull-running festival, causing public outrage and prompting calls to reform laws on sexual violence.
The draft still requires parliamentary approval, which is expected by the end of the year.
Based around a “yes means yes” model, which qualifies any non-consenting sex as rape, the law will bring Spain into line with 11 other European countries, including Sweden, Portugal and Britain, that use similar legal definitions.
“What the new law does is put the victim at the centre of the public response,” government spokesperson Maria Jesus Montero told a news conference. “Silence or passivity does not mean consent.”
Under existing legislation, a perpetrator must have used physical violence or intimidation for an assault to be classified as rape.
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