Sexual violence against women is a most brutal crime, yet still remains a taboo subject in many countries. It is estimated that almost every other woman in Europe suffers gender-based violence at some point in her life, with 1 in 5 victims of male domestic violence, and 1 in 10 victims of rape or forced sexual acts.
Yet across the EU rape is one of the least reported crimes, with less than 10% of rapes being reported and far fewer cases ending in a conviction. While rape is criminalised in all 27 EU Member States, some have a broader definition of rape than others. Many EU countries still require proof of physical resistance or do not cover all forms of rape.
I was therefore very happy to host an event at the European Parliament this morning to launch the latest report into how EU countries are tackling this hateful crime.
Hosting event at European Parliament to launch 2013 EWL Barometer on Rape
The European Women’s Lobby Barometer on Rape 2013 looks at legislation and data collection in 32 countries. It compares them with the minimum standards for sexual violence and rape set by the Istanbul Convention (the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, adopted in 2011 and currently being ratified).
The EWL found that just 5 countries have legislation that corresponds to the Istanbul Convention definition: the UK and the Netherlands who have “better legislation”, and Ireland, Italy and Turkey who meet minimum standards. The majority of countries (21) need to improve their legislation, recognising lack of consent as an essential element in determining rape and sexual abuse. Six countries need to urgently change their laws (Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Serbia and Ukraine).
Continuous population growth at the same time continuing limiting general and food resources in particular (due to pollution and global warming), is the main threat to human life on the planet in the near future.
Therefore, the first rational for limiting births seem so voluntary methods (liberalization of relationship to all forms of sex that do not stimulate birth) and coercive methods (severe punishment of all forms of abuse and sexual violence against women).
Among the methods anti-rape the most effective to deter potential rapists seem to be:
1 – Medical Methods (castration).
2 – Civil Methods:
a) – prohibiting marriage between rapists and victims (non-witness
continuing rape);
b) – the civil transition as vehicles and other property used for the rape, from owned property offenders to the victim property;
c) – order the violator to pay an annuity to repair the victim’s bio-psycho-social consequences of rape);
d) – the legalization of incompatibility between rapists and every kind of public office community, national and local (including private);
d) – banning state aid for children raised in poor conditions (forced to steal and beg), born largely of quasi-violent sexual simultaneous decay of parents in this capacity and transferring child victims in places of growth and adequate education under state responsibility.
3 – Method Criminal (imprisonment of rapists).
Anti-rape first two methods seem to be effective only when combined will apply.
The third method can be applied as an exception, where the first two methods, after application, do not give the expected results.
Iulian Somacescu (European expert on Human Rights)