French National Assembly commission approves sexual violence law

The French National Assembly commission has approved a comprehensive bill aimed at combating gender-based and sexual violence (VSS). The legislation is designed to address systemic failures exposed by recent scandals, including cases of pedocriminality. The text is scheduled to reach the full assembly on October 1.

Key measures include establishing a mandatory minimum set of investigative steps, such as victim and suspect hearings, evidence preservation, and the active search for additional victims to prevent complaints from being dismissed. The bill also prohibits investigators from collecting evidence regarding a complainant’s sexual history. However, debates continue regarding the use of a complainant’s “credibility” or “morality” during investigations.

The bill faced some opposition and concerns. The Rassemblement National (RN) abstained from the vote, partly due to a provision that prohibits issuing an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) to foreigners who have filed reports of sexual violence. Additionally, some deputies, including Clémentine Autain, expressed concerns that the law may be unenforceable without sufficient budget allocations.