The number of reports of rapes and sexual violence is rising in the EU as the bloc seeks a definition of rape based on the absence of consent.
According to the latest data from Eurostat, in 2024, police in EU countries registered over 256,000 crimes related to sexual violence, of which 38% were rapes.
Compared to 2023, the number of crimes related to sexual violence increased by 5%, and rapes by 7%.
In 2024, the highest number of registered crimes related to sexual violence and rape was recorded in France, Germany, and Sweden, while the lowest was in Cyprus, Malta, and Lithuania.
However, the increase in the number of registered police crimes related to sexual violence may indicate a rise in awareness and improved measures to combat sexual violence.
The data emerged just after the European Parliament voted to adopt a common definition of rape based on consent, known as "only 'yes' means 'yes'".
Members of the European Parliament stated that consent should be assessed in context, including in cases involving violence, abuse of power, intimidation, or vulnerability.
They also called for adequate support and protection for victims and survivors across the EU.
Prior to this, the EU first adopted minimum standards for combating violence against women in 2024.
However, the proposed article in the standards to create a common definition of rape was rejected after objections from several member states.
"We have been calling for a European-wide definition of rape for many years," said Evin İncihir, a Swedish MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, in a press release from the European Parliament.
"More and more governments are recognizing the need for such an approach - since 2023, France, Finland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands have introduced consent-based laws," she said. "The moment is evident."
Despite the introduction of a definition of rape based on the absence of consent in the EU indicating that the bloc is serious about combating this crime, the data shows a trend of increasing rapes and sexual violence over the past decade.
From 2014 to 2024, the number of crimes related to sexual violence increased by 94%, and rapes by 150%.
During this period, the number of crimes related to sexual violence steadily increased by an average of nearly 10% per year, and rapes by 7%.
However, this can be partly explained by an increase in reporting, driven by heightened awareness and improved reporting channels.
Will Latvia Withdraw from the Treaty on Combating Violence Against Women?
European countries have varying legal terminology and national legislation regarding rape, although most adhere to similar frameworks of the Istanbul Convention of the Council of Europe.
The convention aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence has been signed by all EU member states and other European countries such as the UK and Norway.
In October of last year, the Latvian parliament voted to withdraw from the treaty following complaints from right-wing politicians that it promotes "radical feminism based on gender ideology" and threatens traditional family values.
However, President Edgars Rinkēvičs exercised a suspended veto and returned the treaty to parliament for reconsideration, stating that such changes in international obligations should not be decided hastily.
Latvia is set to reconsider this issue in November, after parliamentary elections take place in the country in the fall.
However, Riga still intends to maintain protection for women and victims of domestic violence, even if it withdraws from the convention. Its parliament adopted a declaration requesting the government to develop a comprehensive national law to combat domestic violence, which should serve as an "alternative" to the convention.
As an EU member, Latvia is also bound by EU directives on combating violence against women. These transpose many provisions of the Istanbul Convention into EU legislation, which Latvia must implement by June 2027, regardless of whether it adheres to the Council of Europe treaty.
At the same time, France ratified an amendment to include consent in the legal definition of sexual assault and rape in October 2025 after the conclusion of the trial concerning the rape of Ghislaine Pelico, which took place a year earlier.
In this case, 51 men were found guilty of sexual violence and rape against Pelico while she was unconscious from drugs that her husband, Dominique, had administered to her for ten years.
Previously, rape or sexual violence was defined as "any form of sexual penetration carried out by the use of violence, coercion, threat, or surprise."
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