Spain might be next to criminalize sex without affirmative consent

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Spain may soon join a list of countries to make "yes means yes" the legal standard in sexual encounters. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo signaled her intent to introduce legislation that would require clearly expressed consent in sexual contact. The concept is often referred to as affirmative consent, in which both parties agree to sexual conduct, either through clear, verbal communication or nonverbal cues or gestures. Calvo's announcement follows outrage over the release of five men who were convicted of lesser charges in an attack on a female teen during the 2016 running of the bulls in Pamplona.

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"It's something as resounding and perfect as if a woman does not expressly say 'yes,' everything else is 'no.' That's how her autonomy is preserved, [along with] her freedom [and] respect for her person and her sexuality,"

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The proposal would be modeled after similar laws in Sweden and Germany that criminalize sex without clearly expressed consent as rape, Calvo said.

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