PARIS — France’s lower house of Parliament on Monday started debating a measure to fight sexual and gender-based violence — a move that comes in the wake of the MeToo movement but is being strongly criticized by women’s groups.
The government says the bill, which is being examined at the National Assembly on Monday and today, aims to better protect children under age 15 by introducing into current law a provision that rape and sexual assault can result from an “abuse of vulnerability” of the victim.
But women’s groups insist the text doesn’t go far enough. They want an explicit declaration that anyone under 15 cannot consent to sex with an adult. They say the current version of the law would minimize the rapes of younger victims.
Two recent cases prompted anger on the topic after French courts refused to prosecute men for rape after they had sex with 11-year-old girls because authorities couldn’t prove coercion. French law doesn’t set a legal age of consent for sex.
Women’s groups plan to protest in front of the National Assembly today.
France’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, warned the government that setting an automatic legal age of consent could be seen as violating an adult’s presumption of innocence and would be therefore declared unconstitutional.
The bill extends the statute of limitations on sex crimes, allowing prosecution for 30 years after a purported victim turns 18, rather than the current 20.