Lithuanian lawmakers propose sweeping reforms to criminal code to combat sexual violence
A cross-party group of Lithuanian parliamentarians has submitted a package of amendments to the criminal code aimed at reducing sexual harassment, violence, and ensuring better protection for victims, LRT reports.
The proposed changes, presented on Tuesday during a press conference marking International Denim Day—a campaign against sexual violence—seek to overhaul how sexual crimes are defined and prosecuted. Agnė Bilotaitė, chair of the Seimas working group tasked with drafting the reforms, stated that Lithuania’s current legal framework “does not reflect today’s realities.”
A central proposal would eliminate distinctions in criminal liability based on the form of sexual violence used. Under existing law, penalties for coercive sexual acts vary depending on the method of force, a differentiation Bilotaitė called “illogical.” “Why is sexual violence against a boy considered less dangerous than against a girl? Trauma is trauma, regardless of form,” she argued.
The reforms would merge the current separate articles on rape and sexual coercion into a single offense—sexual coercion—encompassing all non-consensual sexual acts, including vaginal, anal, oral, or other physical contact. The draft defines the crime as “sexual intercourse with a person without their free consent,” punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison. Aggravating factors would include physical force, threats, exploitation of helplessness, or the victim’s inability to resist.
Another key change shifts the burden of proof: lack of consent would become the default assumption in prosecutions, with defendants required to demonstrate that consent was given. Currently, prosecutors must prove physical resistance or force was used.
The package also closes loopholes in workplace harassment laws by extending protections to abuse between colleagues—not just supervisors—and broadens the definition of grooming (sexual exploitation of minors) to criminalize the act of luring itself, without requiring evidence of further contact. Additionally, the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse would be extended from 25 to 30 years after the victim turns 18.
The proposals follow a petition signed by over 44,000 Lithuanians urging legal reforms. “These signatures show that our society recognizes sexual violence, harassment, and child exploitation as serious problems. We’re asking the Seimas to use this public mandate to pass these necessary changes,” said Rugilė Butkevičiūtė, head of the NGO Ribologija.
International Denim Day, observed since 1992, originated in protest of a controversial Italian court ruling that overturned a rape conviction partly because the victim wore tight jeans, which the judges claimed she could not have removed without consent.