Christian Heinz, the CDU’s Justice Minister for Hesse, has backed calls for tightening sexual offense laws and introducing a definitive “yes means yes” consent standard for sexual acts. Speaking to the “Welt” at the beginning of the Justice Ministers Conference in Hamburg on Thursday, Heinz stated that Hesse is committed to providing superior protection for women, leading them to support international initiatives that reduce violence against women and ensure perpetrators face stricter criminal prosecution. He emphasized that it is clear for Hesse that rapists must feel “the full severity of the rule of law” and be held responsible for their actions.
However, Heinz noted that the current legal situation often prevents the conviction of many offenders. He stressed the urgent need to address this structural problem affecting women and improve legislation, arguing that a “yes means yes” policy is the correct way to finally better protect them.
Currently, the fundamental principle in Germany is “No means no”; criminal acts are defined as sexual acts carried out against the identifiable will of a person. Yet, cases become difficult when victims freeze due to fear or shock, making it impossible for courts to determine a definitive refusal. The Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens have long demanded a corresponding strengthening of the legal framework. Their proposal suggests that sexual acts should only be considered legal if all individuals involved have explicitly consented, either verbally or nonverbally. Justice ministers from Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia (both Green) are putting forward a similar motion at the conference.
