France Senate approves consent-based sexual assault bill

France's Senate gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill that formally defines sexual assault as any nonconsensual activity, enshrining consent in the country's criminal code and marking a significant change in how sexual violence will be legally judged. The measure, which cleared the lower house last week, now awaits formal publication after presidential signature to become law.

The legislation sets out that consent must be freely given, informed, specific, prior and revocable, and must be assessed in light of the surrounding circumstances. It also states that consent cannot be presumed from silence or a lack of resistance and that there is no consent when a sexual act is obtained through violence, coercion, threat or surprise. Supporters say the change moves French law away from requiring proof of a perpetrator's intention and towards centering the presence or absence of consent in prosecutions.

Senators approved the bill with 327 votes in favor and 15 abstentions, following a 155 to 31 vote in the National Assembly last week. The measure was introduced in January by lawmakers Marie-Charlotte Garin of the Greens and Véronique Riotton of the centrist bloc. Riotton described...