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Posted

There is disappointment over the exclusion of rape from a new EU directive on combating violence against women.

Rape Crisis Network Ireland has described it as 'a blow'.

Members of the European Union failed to hammer out agreement on how to define the term.

Rape Crisis Network Ireland Executive Director Clíona Saidléar has said it is a shame there was no deal.

"We could not agree a standard of protection that would protect all women in Europe equally, and that is really disappointing," she said.

"As it happens Ireland has that standard... which is consent-based rape legislation.

"But other countries do not and that was a stumbling block.

"We can't but be disappointed, it is a blow.

"What we were trying to achieve here, and what the directive was trying to achieve, was to have a standard of protection for all women across Europe that was the same.

"That had fallen yesterday in terms of bringing that about," she added.

The new EU rules will criminalise a range of offences, including female genital mutilation and cyber violence.

The directive will also ensure that victims have access to justice, the right to claim compensation as well as access to free of charge helplines and rape crisis centres.

In November 2022, the European Commission announced an EU-wide standard helpline number for victims of violence against women. The number is 116-016.

 

Seems like a strange thing to not be able to agree on? 

Your thoughts? 

https://www.newstalk.com/news/it-is-a-blow-rape-excluded-from-eu-directive-on-combatting-violence-against-women-1633835

Posted

The quoted article provides little detail unfortunately; This one from Euractive provides a bit more clarity.
Several individual states, rather than the EU itself, sought to block some proposals for an EU harmonised approach, for legal reasons relating to state competence for certain laws.
e.g.

France is not opposed to the idea but believes there is no legal basis for it. Criminal law is a competence of the Member States, not of the EU, except in the case of Euro-crimes,” an EU source close to the matter explained to Euractiv.

This is the stance taken by the Czech Republic and Poland."

It seems to be a legal, rather than moral argument for the most part, but will undoubtedly be seized on by the anti-EU commentators.

Shamefully for the UK, it's well within my lifetime (1991) that rape within marriage was finally recognised as a crime.
I can still remember a work colleague coming in one morning ranting and raving, as "his rights" had been removed, since he considered  his wife as his property after marriage.

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Posted

Quote:
Shamefully for the UK, it's well within my lifetime (1991) that rape within marriage was finally recognised as a crime.
I can still remember a work colleague coming in one morning ranting and raving, as "his rights" had been removed, since he considered  his wife as his property after marriage.

  • GG

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