Baja California Congress approves sexual violence law reform

The Congress of Baja California has approved a reform to the state's Penal Code aimed at strengthening protections for women, children, and adolescents against sexual violence. The initiative, proposed by Deputy Liliana Michel Sánchez Allende, places consent as the central element of legal protection.

The reform eliminates the crime of 'estupro' (statutory rape) and strengthens regulations regarding rape and equivalent offenses. Under the new law, silence, passivity, or a lack of physical resistance cannot be interpreted as consent. Furthermore, consent is considered void if a person's will is nullified by violence, intimidation, deception, threats, abuse of trust, authority, or vulnerability.

The legislation establishes reinforced protection for minors under 18 in sexual relations with adults, setting prison sentences between 15 and 30 years for equivalent rape offenses.