Yes means yes: Spain's new sexual consent law to remove ambiguity in rape

2018-07-19 144

“Yes means yes” is the new law Spain is introducing to remove ambiguity in rape cases. Under the law, sexual consent will need to be explicit and anything else, including silence, will mean a no. It will make sex without explicit consent be considered a rape. Under current law, rape must involve violence and intimidation. The law follows after outrage in a gang-rape case in which five accused were charged only with sexual assault as the woman was silent and one judge even claimed she “appeared to be enjoying herself”.