Was expecting to find a discussion on this here already, but I suppose VestalVirgin was busy, so I'll post this myself: Despite the squeals of indignation issuing from your creepy uncle and federal judge Thomas Fischer and his ilk, the German parliament has finally taken the idea that women might actually be capable of making an informed decision of whether or not they want to have sex on board and passed new laws on rape and sexual assault based on the (aparently) radical concept of consent. The following changes have been made:
- the definition of rape (previously only defined as such if the rapist threatens violence, uses force, or takes advantage of another person's defenseless or vlunerable position) has now been expanded to include having sex with another person against their clearly expressed wishes
- groping is now illegal (which up to now, if you remember some of the dicussions surrounding the events in Cologne on NYE on here, it wasn't)
- if a member of a group commits rape or sexual assault, the entire group can be charged with it (another reaction to Cologne and the only change I personally don't agree with in the slightest)
Whether this will have any appreciable effect on the conviction rate or the number of false accusations (the panicky screams from affronted antifeminists are probably audible from where most of you are standing - can you here that desolate howling? It's not the wind, or wolves or banshees or anything - it's just Sabine Rückert bemoaning the crushing loss to the classical music and education business of sexual harassers being forced to face the consequences of their actions) remains to be seen. The law will not come into effect until late September though, as it has to go through the Budesrat (another part of the legislative branch that represents the federal states) first.
Sorry I haven't provided any English links, here's a Guardian article. If anyone else has read anything more informative, would appreciate you posting a link here too. Thanks!
