Austria is considering criminalizing sex without clear consent!
In countries like Sweden, Iceland, and recently Norway, sex without explicit consent has become a crime punishable by law. Now, a similar debate is taking place in Austria. Minister for Women's Affairs Eva-Maria Holzleitner (from the Social Democratic Party SPÖ) stated in a radio interview that Austria must keep up with this development.
The Ministry of Women's Affairs confirmed that there is an openness to discuss this issue at the national level, along with working to find a common European solution. This topic is raised within the framework of the national plan to combat violence against women, which is expected to be presented by the end of this year. The government program also stipulates the evaluation of the sexual offenses law in order to close gaps and tighten penalties.
Minister Holtzleitner clarified that she seeks to benefit from the experiences of other countries that apply the principle of "yes means yes", emphasizing that every victim of sexual violence within the European Union should feel that the law is on her side. Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (from SPÖ) pointed out the need to improve conviction rates, as there is still a significant gap between filing complaints and conviction rulings.
All government parties agreed on the necessity of taking steps in this area. The NEOS party warned against overestimating the amendment of the law as a magical solution, while the ÖVP party expressed its readiness to support the amendment if it is reasonable. The Green Party explicitly expressed its support, and the spokesperson for women's affairs, Miri Disoski, stated that the amendment would even give victims of assault under the influence of "date rape drugs" a legal opportunity to act.
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