Justifications for sexual intercourse without consent in Belgium 2016
Consent is a notion that has been widely discussed and continues to receive considerable attention. According to this survey regarding gender-based violence in Belgium, multiple justifications for sexual intercourse without consent are found in respondents. The most shared justification relates to being drunk or using drugs, in other words when a person is not in full control of themselves. Voluntarily going home with someone or wearing revealing clothes were also valid justifications for 15 percent of respondents.
Meanwhile, 57 percent of respondents declared that sexual intercourse without consent was justified under no circumstances. Consenting to sexual activity means fully accepting, without constraint or threat, to participate in the sexual activity in question. A person can stop or refuse a sexual act at any moment. Consent can be expressed in words, gestures, behaviors, and others. Furthermore, the person must be legally capable to give consent, which is not the case for children, people with certain health conditions or consume certain medicines.
Meanwhile, 57 percent of respondents declared that sexual intercourse without consent was justified under no circumstances. Consenting to sexual activity means fully accepting, without constraint or threat, to participate in the sexual activity in question. A person can stop or refuse a sexual act at any moment. Consent can be expressed in words, gestures, behaviors, and others. Furthermore, the person must be legally capable to give consent, which is not the case for children, people with certain health conditions or consume certain medicines.
