Lithuanian parliament begins overhaul of sexual crime laws to introduce consent-based model
The Lithuanian parliament has launched a comprehensive reform of the criminal code to strengthen protections against sexual violence, introducing a consent-based definition of sexual offences for the first time, LRT reports.
Lawmakers on Thursday approved the first reading of amendments that would merge existing articles on rape and sexual coercion into a single offence—sexual assault</strong)—covering all forms of non-consensual sexual contact. The proposed legal text states that "any person who engages in sexual relations—vaginal, anal, oral, or other physical contact—without the free and voluntary consent of the other party shall be punishable by imprisonment for one to five years."
“We are proposing a consent-based model for sexual offences. This means sexual relations without the explicit consent of one party will be classified as a crime,” said Agnė Bilotaitė, the conservative MP chairing the working group behind the reforms. She stressed that the changes do not require written consent nor shift the burden of proof onto the accused, preserving the presumption of innocence.
The reforms also toughen penalties for aggravating factors such as physical force, threats, exploitation of vulnerability, or removing a victim’s ability to resist. Currently, only supervisors or figures of authority face consequences for workplace sexual harassment; the new rules would extend liability to colleagues and introduce administrative penalties for single incidents and criminal charges for repeated offences.
Additional changes include closing loopholes in laws against grooming minors under 16—criminalising the act of luring itself, regardless of whether a meeting occurs—and extending the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse. Survivors would have until age 30 to report crimes (up from the current 25).
The bill passed its first hurdle with 55 MPs voting in favour, four against, and 13 abstaining. Opposition voices, such as independent MP Vytautas Sinica, questioned how consent would be proven in practice. Social Democrat Birutė Vėsaitė countered that the package sends “a clear message to society: sexual violence will not be tolerated.”
Data from the Sexual Violence Centre Prabilk underscores the urgency: one in four Lithuanian women report experiencing physical or sexual violence, yet 80% of victims never seek help. Last year, the centre logged 176 cases—125 involving minors. The reforms follow a 2023 citizen petition with over 44,000 signatures demanding legal changes.