Women's movement calls to change the article of the Criminal Code of Georgia on rape

The women's movement calls for a change in the legal definition of rape in Georgia. Human rights activists believe that it should be based not on the concept of rape as a forced sexual act, but on the concept of non-consensual intercourse, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia

The current version of the law defines rape as sexual intercourse with the use of violence, threats or exploitation of the victim's helpless state. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for a term of six to eight years.

Human rights activists point out that the current ruling leaves many cases of sexual violence unpunished. It turns out that cases where the victim expresses disagreement non-verbally - with gestures, crying, taking a defensive position, etc. - are not considered a crime.

The women's movement insists that rape should be defined in accordance with the Istanbul Convention as "penetration of a sexual nature into the body of the victim without her consent. Consent should be defined as free, voluntary and genuine. Lack of consent must be proven by examining the context and circumstances.

"Sexual violence in Georgia is the most hidden form of gender-based violence. Georgian legislation, meanwhile, does not take into account international standards and best practices. For years, the Women's Movement has been demanding to change the outdated definition of rape (Article 137 of the Criminal Code of Georgia)," the statement reads.

In January-December 2023, 204 cases of rape under Article 137 of the Criminal Code were registered in Georgia. Of these, 153 crimes were solved. For the same period in 2022, 176 cases of rape were registered, of which 123 were solved.