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Denmark outlaws sex without explicit consent with unanimous passing of
new law on rape
17 Dec 2020 13:17
Danish MPs have passed a new law which makes sex without explicit consent illegal, with all parliamentary parties voting in favor of the motion. Women’s rights activists have labeled it “a great day for women.”
Sex without explicit consent has been outlawed in Denmark following the passing of a new rape law by MPs on Thursday.
It broadens the conditions under which intercourse could constitute rape. Previously, prosecutors had to demonstrate that an alleged rapist had used violence or attacked an individual who was unable to repel.
“Now it will be clear, that if both parties do no consent to sex, then it’s rape,” justice minister Nick Haekkerup said in a statement.
The law, which will come into effect on January 1, was passed with the support of all political parties in the Folketing.
Women’s rights activists rejoiced on hearing the news. “This is a great day for women in Denmark as it consigns outdated and dangerous rape laws to the dustbin of history and helps to end pervasive stigma and endemic impunity for this crime,” said Anna Blus of Amnesty International.
The group claims Denmark is now the 12th country to recognize non-consensual sex as rape.
Sweden introduced a similar law in 2018 which saw a 75 percent rise in rape convictions.
Unfortunately, there is no mention of age limits. How old does a child have to be to be able to consent?
Wow! Suddenly Pakistan begins to enter the 20th century!
High court rules Pakistan’s ‘two-finger’ virginity test for rape
victims unconstitutional
4 Jan 2021 10:48
© REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood
A Pakistani judge has ruled that ‘virginity tests’ performed on women who are victims of sexual assault are unconstitutional, describing the archaic examinations as discriminatory and inhumane.
The Lahore High Court announced on Monday that Pakistan’s infamous “two-finger test,” which is not required under law but is sometimes used by authorities investigating rape cases, had no medical or forensic value. The ‘examination’, dating back to British India, involves inserting two fingers into the vagina of the victim in order to ‘determine’ whether or not she is “habituated to sexual intercourse.” The test has been used to argue that women who are sexually active cannot be raped.
Although not legally required, the test was a routine part of criminal proceedings in Pakistan.
In her ruling, Judge Ayesha Malik stated there was no scientific basis for the examination, adding that the invasive and humiliating procedure “offends the personal dignity of the female victim.” Declaring the practice as illegal and unconstitutional, she ordered the government to devise new guidelines, based on international standards, for how to properly handle cases of sexual assault.
The ruling was in response to a petition filed back in March by a group of female activists and a member of parliament.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Law and Justice had signaled during the legal proceedings that it wanted to end the practice. Health authorities also told the court that they wanted to abolish the test.
Anger over high-profile cases involving sexual assault and violence against women has prompted Islamabad to push through reforms. Last month, Pakistan adopted a new law that will create a special court tasked with trying rape cases within four months – a decision made after a gang rape sparked public outcry and protests.
The decree also called for the creation of a national database of sex offenders, and made the public identification of rape victims a felony.
Child sex offenders face chemical castration under
Indonesia's new abuse law
The country's Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection said it hopes chemical castration will be a "deterrent" to those who commit child sex crimes in the country
By Emma Parker
10:58, 5 JAN 2021
A new law that will allow child sex offenders to be chemically castrated has been brought into law in Indonesia.
Chemical castration is a controversial procedure that involves injecting a person with a solution that lowers their testosterone levels in a bid to suppress their sexual urges.
Judges in Indonesia will now have it as an option to add on when sentencing someone for sexually abusing a child.
Indonesia's Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection told Vice World News authorities hope it will be a "deterrent" to committing the offence.
Amnesty International has since issued a statement asking for an urgent review of the new law as human rights campaigners rally against the punishment.
Because even criminals have a voice, but children have no voice! Amnesty is on the wrong side of this issue. Who is standing up for children but for the Ministry of Women and Children?
Chemical castration is a controversial procedure that involves injecting a person with a solution that lowers their testosterone levels (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Papang Hidayat, Amnesty International's Researcher on Indonesia, said subjecting offenders to chemical castration is an act of cruelty.
What do you call subjecting children to rape or sodomy?
Slamming the procedure, Ms Hidayat said the law is a "violation of international law" and said the "risk" of harming the innocent can "never be eliminated".
"Harming the innocent!" Maybe you should rethink that phrase!
She said: "The sexual abuse of children is indescribably horrific. But subjecting offenders to chemical castration or executions is not justice, it is adding one cruelty to another.
Even there you are wrong! Judges can sentence child rapists to shorter sentences if they can be castrated. Some paedophiles actually want to be castrated. And if it reduces the chance of a paedophile reoffending and destroying another child, go for it. Far better a pervert be subjected to an injustice than a child.
Judges in Indonesia will now have it as an option to add on when sentencing someone for sexually abusing a child (Image: Getty Images/Blend Images)
What crimes have been reported in your neighourhood? Check with our handy tool from In Your Area.
"Forced chemical castration is a violation of the prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under international law.
"The expansion of the scope of the death penalty is inconsistent with Indonesia's international obligations which protect the right to life. Further, given the serious flaws in Indonesia's justice system, the risk of executing the innocent can never be eliminated."
The National Commissioner of Violence Against Women has also spoken out against the new rule, claiming the government will not see the result it hopes for.
Siti Aminah Tardi said: "The government will not reach its target with castration, because sexual violence against children happens due to imbalanced power relations (between culprit and victim) or the culprits' perception toward victims.
It is not just a power imbalance issue. That enables the abuse to occur but is not the cause of it. The cause is more moral and spiritual. It is an act of rebellion against God - an attempt to destroy innocence, to violate the sacred!
"Controlling culprits' sexual hormones will not end sexual violence."
Of course, it won't end sexual violence! But it will reduce it some level. However many children are spared destruction, it will be worth the violence against child rapists, even if it is only a few. One healthy child is worth ten thousand paedophiles!
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