Open petition: Review and expand the definition of rape in law
Created by Matthew johnston
Closes on
Currently, under the law, men and women who are sexually assaulted by women cannot be seen as rape victims due to a definition focused on penetration with a penis, even though many people view this as rape. Female perpetrators can only be charged with other sexual offences. We think this is wrong.
The law should change to include all perpetrators. The government has a large majority and could expand the law or change it entirely to something gender neutral such as any form of sex that is without consent. We think this would better recognise victims in the law and would mean all victims are taken more seriously but is only the first step to support victims. We think the government could easily do this. If you sign this, you could contribute to it being in public debate and to there being the stated change.
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If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.
If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
This petition will stay open until 27 November 2026.