Responding to today’s decision by Switzerland’s National Council that amends current legislation and recognizes in law that ‘sex against the will of another person’ is rape, Cyrielle Huguenot, Amnesty International’s Head of Women’s Rights in Switzerland, said:
“Today’s vote is a historic victory not just for those campaigners who have worked tirelessly to see this day, but for all survivors of sexual violence in Switzerland. The amendment, which will be formally voted in Parliament on 16 June, marks the end to the outdated definition of rape that required the use of physical force, threat or coercion, and considered only women as victims. The law now recognizes that all sex without consent is rape.
“While there is still a great distance to travel, today’s vote is an important step along the road to combatting widespread sexual violence in Switzerland and improving access to justice for survivors.
“Although the new law will help to shift attitudes, more is needed to effect institutional and social change. Parliament must now act to ensure that training and awareness-raising for police and prosecution authorities and assistance to survivors strengthened. Consent must also be placed at the centre of sex education, detailed public statistics on sexual violence must be made available, and effective information and prevention campaigns must be launched.”
