EU to harmonize criminalization of rape across the bloc
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive arm wants to harmonize the criminalization of rape across the 27-nation bloc on the strict basis of lack of consent. According to EU data, one in three women in the EU has experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15. In addition, one in two have experienced sexual harassment, with one in 20 women reporting having been raped. The large majority of EU member countries already treat violence against women and girls as a crime but the commission said there are gaps in national legislation.