The law was passed almost unanimously in the House of Representatives last year. Only Forum for Democracy was against. It is therefore expected that the law will also pass the assessment in the Senate. If that happens, the aim is to have the law come into effect in July.
The new law covers more than just rape and sexual assault. It is also primarily a modernization of an outdated law that predates the digital age. For example, the ‘misuse of sexual images’, also known as revenge porn, will soon also become a sexual crime.
This still falls under privacy legislation and was transferred on the advice of, among others, the Victim Support Fund. “The minister did not want that at first,” says Brouwer. Ultimately, the change ended up in law via a House of Representatives motion.