The French government has gone public with plans to set the nation’s age of consent at 15 years old, establishing an age requirement for mandatory rape charges for the first time.
Current French law states that suspects can only be charged with rape if violence or coercion could be proven.
Tuesday’s announcement came amid nationwide controversy following two high-profile child rape cases, according to French news agency AFP. The defendants in those cases dodged harsh punishments because prosecutors could not prove the victims were physically forced to engage in the acts.
In one case, a 30-year-old man was acquitted of raping an 11-year-old girl after a court found the victim had not been subjected to “constraint, threat, violence or surprise,” according to reports.
Another case sparking outrage involved a 28-year-old man who received a lesser charge of sexual relations with a minor rather than rape. The victim in that case was also an 11-year-old girl.
France’s Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa told AFP the government consulted with a panel of doctors and legal experts before deciding on an age of consent.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also publicly supported the measure.
The new requirement is expected go into effect following government approval of a package of sexual violence and gender discrimination laws in the coming weeks.
If the proposed legislation is enacted, France would no longer have the lowest age of consent in Europe. Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Portugal would share that title; their ages of consent are set at 14 years old.