Legislation passed by the Spanish Parliament making sexual intercourse without explicit consent a rape. The new law was passed by Parliament by 205 votes to 141, with three abstentions. Many deputies of the conservative People’s Party, as well as far-right groups, voted against him.

Spain’s Equality Minister Irene Montero, welcoming the adoption of the new state law, said that “today is a day of triumph and it has become a reality after many battles over the years. From now on, no woman will have to prove that she was subjected to violence or intimidation in order to admit that the rape she was subjected to was indeed rape. Under the new legislation, consent must be clear and unambiguous, and not enough to be silent or implied.

The need for a law arose in 2016 when five men raped an 18-year-old girl during the traditional release of bulls into the streets, which takes place every year in Pamplona. During the course of the case, the perpetrators of the attack, offering as evidence a video recording from their mobile phones, in which the victim was immobile and with her eyes closed during the rape, argued that her posture represented consent to sexual intercourse. In fact, the member of the court proposed to convict the men only for stealing the victim’s mobile phone.

A law has been passed in the Spanish Parliament that does not recognize the distinction between sexual assault and sexual assault (rape).

The rapists were initially sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of a “less serious” crime of sexual assault. Their verdict was considered “weasel” and caused such a public outcry that they were eventually found guilty of rape, and the sentence was commuted to 15 years in prison.

Soon, five other men accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in the Catalan city of Manreza were also convicted of sexual assault, because, according to them, their victim was intoxicated with alcohol and drugs.

In 2015, the age of consent under Spanish law was raised from 13 to 16. However, any sexual activity with a minor can still be considered sexual abuse and not assault unless intimidation was used. The new legislation does not distinguish between sexual violence and sexual violence (rape) and clearly states that consent is the determining factor.

Commenting on developments, the mother of a rape victim issued a statement in 2016 saying: “The new law is the result of the courage, perseverance and dignity of a girl who knew she wanted to live without judgment and who chose to move forward. so that we all know the tragic path that many victims have gone and continue to go. This is something we all need to change together.”