51 men accused of raping 1 woman force France to think about consent – POLITICO

Lawyers for some of them argued that the men thought they were engaging in a sexual fetish the couple shared, even though Pélicot was unconscious during the encounters. These lawyers built a legal defense around the fact that the legal definition of rape does not explicitly state the need for consent from both parties.

French law currently defines rape as “an act of sexual intercourse of any kind or any oral-genital act carried out by means of violence, coercion, threat or surprise.”

Lawyer Guillaume de Palma, who defended six of the defendants, said in court: “There is no rape without the intention to commit it.” “Proof of intent required in France.”

Given the amount of evidence, Vogel, a member of the French Greens, does not believe this defense will succeed. However, he noted that the attempt to use it highlighted the need to reformulate the definition of rape to include consent.

“The media coverage of the case and the defense of the lawyers emphasized that this was a flaw, and today society can no longer tolerate this flaw,” he added.

Former Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti expressed doubts about the need for changes to French legislation Due to the “risk of sexual relations turning into a contract” He said at a Senate hearing in February.