Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, voted on Thursday to take forward a package of amendments to the Criminal Code aimed at reducing sexual harassment and violence and improving support for victims.
"I am presenting a legislative package through which we seek to strengthen the protection of men, women and children who have experienced sexual violence," said Agnė Bilotaitė, a conservative MP who chaired the working group that drafted the amendments.
She argued that the current legal framework fails to address existing problems or adequately protect human rights, and noted that more than 44,000 signatures calling for legislative change were handed to the Seimas at the end of April.
A single offence, consent at its core
The amendments propose merging two separate Criminal Code articles – currently defining rape and sexual assault as distinct offences – into a single article under the name "sexual assault", covering all forms of sexual activity.
