“I was hit by fear, disgust, hatred, and helplessness.” “Shame stopped me from telling my parents, as I believed they would never understand me.” “I had to continue working in the same job, as I couldn’t risk losing it.”
Yet when everything inside breaks, life still has to go on.
Such experiences, accompanied by a variety of emotions, often go hand in hand with rape. Not everyone reports them to the police, and not all find understanding even within their own families.
Over 370 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to rape or sexual assault during childhood, according to UNICEF.
European Parliament wants the European Commission to propose legislation establishing a common definition of rape based on freely given, informed, and revocable consent.
In a report adopted on April 28 with 447 votes for, 160 against, and 43 abstentions, MEPs call on member states that still rely on force- or violence-based definitions of rape to align their laws with international standards (including the Istanbul Convention).
They also demand adequate support and protection for victims and survivors across the EU.
European Parliament says 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.
MEPs say 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.
They argue that trauma responses such as “freeze” and “fawn” must be reflected in legislation and judicial practice.
They also reiterate their demand for gender-based violence to be included among EU crimes.
A victim-centred approach
Only consent-based rape legislation can ensure access to justice, European Parliament says.
MEPs say the EU should focus on victims and take an intersectional approach. This includes providing immediate medical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare, safe and legal abortion, trauma and psychological support, and legal help.
They also call for free specialist services, including 24-hour crisis centres offering medical, psychological, and legal assistance.
Training, education and awareness
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.
MEPs want the Commission to introduce EU guidelines in 2026 on sexuality and relationship education. They also call for EU-wide awareness campaigns on consent, relationships, sexual integrity, and bodily autonomy, as well as action against rape myths, anti-gender content, and incel propaganda online.
It is both morally and legally unacceptable that women are not protected by ‘only yes means yes’ legislation across the EU. We have been calling for a common European definition of rape for years, and although the Council prevented its inclusion as part of the directive on combating violence against women, more and more governments are recognising the need for this approach – since 2023, France, Finland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have introduced consent-based laws. Momentum is with us: it’s time to deliver a common European definition of rape based on the absence of freely given and revocable consent.
Civil Liberties Committee rapporteur Evin Incir (S&D, Sweden)
One in three women in the EU has experienced gender-based violence. One in twenty has been raped. Thanks to brave women like Gisèle Pelicot, there are growing calls for action. But we know that in our communities there are countless victims, many who will never see justice. Parliament is speaking up for justice by calling on the Commission to propose legislation, so we can actively improve the situation for women, moving beyond outdated laws to guarantee them the same level of protection across the EU.
Women’s Rights Committee rapporteur Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D, Poland)
What is incel propaganda?
Incel (“involuntary celibacy”) online communities are a collection of online spaces frequented by mostly heterosexual men who construct their identities over the perceived lack of romantic and sexual attention from women, according to Emilia Lounela, a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki studying incel communities, masculinity, and extremism, who presented her at Europol Headquarters in The Hague.
She stresses that in these communities, misogynist ideology and collective victimhood are central aspects of belonging. It is important to note that not all involuntarily without sex or relationships identify as incels. For most incels, appearance is the number one issue: they believe they are not attractive enough to interest women.
For some, mental health issues and social and financial status also play an important role.
What is gender-based violence?
According to European Institute of gender equality, examples of gender-based violence include intimate partner violence, forced marriage, trafficking in human beings, femicide, cyberviolence or female-genital mutilation.
Violence against women constitutes all acts of gender‐based violence that result in, or are likely to result in, physical, emotional, financial, sexual or reproductive harm, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public, private or digital spaces.
29.04.2026.
SOURCE
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/over-370-million-girls-and-women-globally-subjected-rape-or-sexual-assault-children https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260423IPR41832/rape-must-be-defined-based-on-the-absence-of-consent-in-all-eu-countries https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/publications/incel-online-communities-violence-and-construction-of-collective-victimhood https://eige.europa.eu/gender-based-violence/what-is-gender-based-violence
