EU gives green light to first law on violence against women

The new law aims to protect women in the 27-country European Union (EU) from gender-based violence, forced marriage, online harassment and anti-feminist practices.

People take part in a protest against violence against women in Brussels, Belgium in 2021. (Source: Brussels Times)

The European Council recently backed the bloc's first law to combat violence against women, and EU member states will have three years to adopt it as national law.

The law criminalizes online stalking, harassment and incitement to hatred or violence online across the EU, and sets out sentences of between one and five years in prison, depending on the offence. If the victim is a child, spouse or former spouse, the penalties can be harsher.

The new law also includes measures to prevent violence against women and domestic violence, and sets standards to protect victims of these crimes.

Member States will also have to ensure that evidence relating to a victim's past sexual conduct is only allowed to be used in criminal proceedings where appropriate and necessary.

The move is a "groundbreaking moment in advancing women's rights," said Marie-Colline Leroy (Ecolo), Belgian Secretary of State for Gender Equality.

“True equality can only happen when women can live without fear of harassment, violent attack or physical harm. This law is an important step towards making this a reality,” she said.

Agreeing, Spain's Equality Minister Ana Redondo admitted she wanted "more ambitious" rules, but that the enactment of such a law was a "good starting point".

Describing violence against women and domestic violence as “a persistent crime”, Belgian Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt said: “This law will ensure across the EU that offenders will be severely punished and that victims will receive all the support they need.”

One in three women in the EU have experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner, while half of women have experienced sexual harassment, an EU-wide survey has found.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/eu-bat-den-xanh-cho-dao-luat-dau-tien-ve-chong-bao-luc-voi-phu-nu-271088.html