The European Parliament has urged the European Union to develop a uniform consent-based definition of rape, describing it as a critical step toward correcting the complicated set of rules, including a few inadequate ones, that currently exist across the bloc. A report advocating for a single definition of rape centred on “only yes means yes” was approved by 447 of the 720 MEPs in the parliament on 28th April (Tuesday).
A vote took place after which the parliament declared, “Silence, lack of resistance, the absence of a ‘no’ previous consent, past sexual conduct or any current or previous relationship must not be interpreted as consent.” The action aims to alter the conventional “no means no” rule, which campaigners argue does not sufficiently protect victims, as it does not demand clear and affirmative agreement before participating in sexual activity.
The statement highlighted the “demand for adequate support and protection for victims and survivors across the EU.” It mentioned, “Consent must be assessed in context, including in cases involving violence, threats, the abuse of power, fear, intimidation, unconsciousness, intoxication, chemical submission, sleep, illness, disability or vulnerability.”
Parliament has adopted a report calling on the Commission to propose legislation establishing a common definition of rape based on freely given, informed, and revocable consent.
— European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) April 28, 2026
Learn more: https://t.co/QUA0TKX7ty pic.twitter.com/Yn6rW55xe3
The official release conveyed that gender-based violence should be included in the list of crimes classified as EU crimes and added that trauma responses such as “freeze” or “fawn” must be represented in legislation and court practice.
It further pressed, “Only consent-based rape legislation can ensure access to justice,” and “EU needs an intersectional and victim-centred approach, including the provision of immediate medical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare, safe and legal abortion, trauma care, psychological support and legal assistance.”
An appeal was made for free specialised support services, including 24-hour emergency rooms that offer medical, psychological and legal aid. “The report calls for regular and tailored mandatory training for professionals likely to come into contact with rape victims, including law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, healthcare professionals and frontline workers,” the statement noted.
The commission is asked to present EU guidelines on comprehensive sexuality and relationship education, as well as measures to debunk rape myths, anti-gender content and incel propaganda on the internet, along with awareness drives on consent, relationships, sexual integrity, and bodily autonomy throughout the bloc.
The 27 EU nations failed to come to a settlement for decades over a specific definition of rape under criminal law. The European Commission was advised to redefine the legal ground for this by a cross-party attempt in the European Parliament. Presently, rape laws in Europe often follow one of two models: coercion-driven, which requires sexual activity to have occurred by force or consent-based, which views rape as a sexual deed without permission.
A commitment to decisively address the issue of rape and affirm consent
According to Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, a Polish MEP (Member of the European Parliament) who was a key proponent of the effort, a uniform definition would encourage member states that continue to employ violence or force in their laws to conform to international norms.
She said, “We can’t have the meaning of rape change as we cross from one border to another. We can’t have a situation where a rapist who has raped a woman in Germany can go to Hungary and isn’t prosecuted because the law is different. And that’s what this report is about.” However, the resolution is only the beginning of the political process. It must now be put up as law for the vote of EU countries.
Consent-based definitions of rape have been incorporated into the criminal laws of most EU member states in recent years. 8 nations, from Italy to Hungary and Romania, are exceptions though and victims need to prove to a certain extent that they were coerced, vocally resisted or resorted to fight physically.
European Council unveiled that over half of all women in the region had experienced sexual harassment at least once since turning 15. Afterwards, the EU enacted a variety of initiatives to shield women and girls from sexual assault in a stronger manner. It joined the Istanbul Convention, the most extensive set of guidelines for preventing gender-based violence in the world on 1st October 2023.
The bloc passed a law in 2024 that makes cyberstalking, workplace sexual harassment and the unapproved sharing of private photos illegal throughout that part of the world. Now, deepfakes, cyberviolence and digital violence against women are especially targeted under the new EU Gender Equality Strategy. Every year, European nations spend hundreds of millions of dollars on schemes focused on preventing violence and protecting victims.
What instigated the key development
The move appears to have its origins in a historic trial in which 50 men were charged with mass rape of Gisław Pelicot. Her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, drugged her and arranged the horrific torture with men he found online. After years of protest, France amended its criminal code in October 2025 to specifically define rape as any sexual conduct carried out without consent. The action came after a public reckoning following the case.
Scheuring-Wielgus stated, “The case of Gisele Pelicot has shaken the whole world”, and asserted that the event exposed the flaws in defining rape by relying just on force or resistance rather than consent. She added, “Her courage to speak out has opened the eyes of even the most conservative opponents of this change.”
Dominique drugged Gisele nightly for a period of ten years, from 2011 to 2020, and orchestrated her rape by several men. He also captured the cruel treatment of the woman, who was constantly under the influence of drugs and was unaware that she was being exploited. The two were married for more than 50 years and had three children.
Gisele suffered violations on 92 occasions by at least 72 men while she was unconscious due to the effects of drugs administered to her. 51 people, between the ages of 26 and 73 had been convicted in the case. Dominique added Lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication, to his wife’s dinner, after which she would fall asleep. He then allowed the “guests” into their Mazan house to indulge in sexual activity. He recorded them and stored the videos on a USB drive in a file named “Abuses.”
The police discovered the tapes while investigating Dominique in September 2020, following reports that he had illegally filmed women in changing rooms of a shopping mall with hidden cameras. This earned him an 8-month suspended sentence. However, the authorities uncovered thousands of images and videos of his unconscious wife and her rape when they searched and seized his hard drive, laptop and phones.
A deviously constructed strategy
Dominique met the men on a secret online forum called “a son insu” (without him or her knowing), where participants talked about performing non-consensual sex with their drugged, ignorant partners. According to investigators, he took rigorous steps, such as prohibiting the use of perfume and tobacco, to keep his wife from being awakened by overpowering smells.
He also instructed the men to park their automobiles near a school and enter the house at night to avoid raising the suspicions of the neighbours. Likewise, he asked them to take off their clothes in the kitchen to avoid dropping garments in the lavatory and wash their hands in hot water to avert an abrupt shift in temperature.
According to Gisele’s testimony, she had no inkling of her circumstances, but routine sedation and sexual assault started to have a negative physical impact. The court filings mentioned that she talked about memory loss and pelvic pain during multiple doctor appointments with her husband.
Some offenders claimed that they did not realise Gisele was not taking part in the act of her own accord. “It’s his wife, he does what he likes with her,” a man argued, denying that it was rape. “I am a rapist, like everyone else in this courtroom. I recognise the facts in their totality. They all knew, they cannot say the contrary,” Dominique admitted during the trial.
“Today, I maintain that, with the obligations we all have, I am a rapist, like everyone in this room. They cannot say otherwise. I am accused of many things. We are not born perverts, we become them. Even if it is paradoxical, I have never considered my wife as an object,” he submitted.
15 people, including him, entered guilty pleas to rape, and others stated that they believed a husband’s approval was sufficient. Caroline Darian, the daughter of Dominique and Giselle, testified in court that her father was “one of the greatest sexual predators” in recent memory.
On 19th December 2024, all 51 men received sentences for their crimes. Dominique was thrown behind bars for 20 years over aggravated rape, while many others received shorter prison time than what the prosecution had requested. Some were even released with suspended sentences.
“For me, it is difficult to hear it. For 50 years, I lived with a man who I would never have imagined for a single second that he could do these acts. I had complete confidence in this man,” Gisele expressed after her husband’s confession. She suffered despair and had a severe emotional breakdown after discovering the existence of the videos. She then applied for divorce.
Dominique used an anonymous online platform to recruit rapists
Dominique regularly took part in the “without her knowledge” forum on Coco.fr, a website with multiple chatrooms that promote sexual violence. Men of many ages and backgrounds interacted with him, including firefighters, journalists and nurses. The couple’s home was less than 50 kilometres (31 miles) away from each of the men on trial in Avignon.
According to the police records, discussions migrated to Skype after the first contact was made on Coco. Dominique made introductory video conversations with the men, turning the camera to reveal his oblivious spouse. Additionally, he posted private images and videos of Gisele, some of which depicted her being sexually abused.
Several guys revealed their appreciation for Dominique and their wish to treat their partners the same way. He would ask the men to interact through text after their Skype conversation. Notably, a defendant on trial was found guilty of drugging and raping his own wife, but he was not charged with sexually attacking Gisele.
What is Coco.fr: The chat site used by Dominique
CNN unearthed a Telegram group in 2024 where almost 1,000 men discussed detailed plots on drugging and abusing their partners. This group was a part of a larger network of non-consensual image sharing. Dominique was able to openly discuss sexual violence and encourage his wife’s rapes on a purported dating website. They sent each other thousands of messages via text, Skype and chat rooms.
Coco was founded in 2003 and advertised as a dating site. According to Le Parisien, it had 778,000 monthly visitors at its height in 2023. The site’s completely unmoderated chat rooms fostered explicit conversations about generally prohibited subjects. Shortly, a sizable portion of Coco users started complaining they had been assaulted during get-togethers organised via the website.
The French media revealed that contacts booked on Coco were connected to at least two murders in the country. Michel Sollossi, a 55-year-old accountant, was fatally stabbed by a guy he met there. The incident happened in 2018, and prosecutors classified it as a homophobic hate crime. The Paris prosecutor stated that 480 victims lodged over 23,000 lawsuits against Coco between January 2021 and May 2024.
On the other hand, its domain was transferred from France to Guernsey in 2022 and the founder, Isaac Steidl, renounced his French citizenship and relocated to Bulgaria with his business. It is noteworthy that French non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had identified Coco as a cause for concern as early as 2013.
They had unsuccessfully persuaded the government and internet service providers to take it down. However, it was argued that the platforms themselves are responsible for regulating websites such as Coco and a court order or an injunction from French authorities is imperative to initiate action.
The French cybercrime unit finally launched a probe with the help of NGOs that had been monitoring the website for years in 2023. It was closed, and Steidl was questioned in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, the next year. However, no criminal charges were brought against him. NGOs and attorneys also warned that inadequate safeguards could allow other websites to replace it.
Similar and well-publicised cases of drug-induced sexual abuse (DFSA) have also surfaced throughout Europe. A German man was convicted in December of drugging, raping and recording his unconscious wife over a period of years. According to a 2014 study based on interviews with 42,000 women in the EU, 1 in 10 women had been sexually abused since they were 15 years old and 1 in 20 have been raped.
“1 in three women in the EU has experienced gender-based violence. 1 in twenty has been raped,” Scheuring-Wielgus voiced, highlighting, that “there are countless victims, many who will never see justice.” She explained the step as a bid to “actively improve” the status of women, extending beyond antiquated legislation to ensure that they have the same level of protection throughout the EU.
