Responding to these days’ closing-minute selection via the Greek authorities to change the crook code to recognize in law that sex without consent is rape, Eirini Gaitanou, Amnesty International Greece’s Campaigner, stated:
“This is a historical victory, no longer only for the campaigners who’ve fought lengthy and complicated for these days, however for all girls in Greece. This newly amended law, in the end, recognizes the true reality that intercourse without consent is rape and makes it clear that bodily violence isn’t always required for the crime to be considered abuse.
“It is now time for all and sundry concerned within the crook justice device to take delivery of clear steering as to how this alteration in the regulation should be applied to make it less complicated for survivors to get justice.
“Shockingly, Greece will be most effective the 9th us of a in Europe to understand that intercourse without consent is rape. However, these days’s final-minute climb-down with the aid of the authorities demonstrates that alternate is viable and need to deliver wish to humans campaigning for consent-based totally laws wherever they are.”
BACKGROUND
The draft version of the law, amended these days, had not handiest didn’t apprehend the easy truth that sex without consent is rape but it also could have restricted further the existing prison definition of rape that calls for bodily violence.
Under the Istanbul Convention, ratified by Greece nearly precisely a yr ago on 18 June 2018, rape and all other non-consensual acts of a sexual nature should be classified as crook offences.
The assumption in regulation or in exercise that a victim gives their consent because they have got now not bodily resisted is deeply intricate considering the fact that “involuntary paralysis” or “freezing” has been identified by using specialists as a very commonplace physiological and mental reaction to sexual attack.
This consciousness on resistance and violence rather than on consent has an impact not most effective at the reporting of rape however additionally on wider awareness of sexual violence, both of that are key elements in stopping rape and tackling impunity.
Changing laws will now not in itself eradicate rape. But it’s far a crucial step along the way as they’ve the strength to permit justice and influence attitudes about what rape is.
The Greek authorities has these days performed a public consultation on the felony definition of rape. Amnesty International submitted an analysis and make contact with on the government to amend Article 336 to make sure rape is based on absence of consent.
