Government approves change in definition of rape in Czech law

The government has approved a change in the definition of rape in Czech law. While up to now it has meant forcibly coerced sexual intercourse, in future it will be defined as non-consensual sex.

Justice Minister Pavel Blažek, who put forward the bill, said on Wednesday that he had not previously been convinced of the usefulness of this change but had revised his position after a number of discussions in the last year.

The bill states that refusal of sexual intercourse can be expressed verbally or non-verbally, such as by gestures, crying or adopting a defensive stance.

Rape will only be investigated in the case of intercourse; other types of forced sex acts will be classified as a sexual attack.

The matter must be considered by both houses of Parliament and signed off on by the president.