Consent Act: “Hundreds are convicted without evidence”

Published December 26, 2024 at 10:34 a.m.

Domestic. The reversed burden of proof in sexual offense cases has, since the introduction of the Consent Act, led to hundreds of ordinary Swedish men, often between 18 and 25 years old, being sentenced to long prison sentences without evidence. This is written by the Mannaminne network, which is demanding that the law be reviewed.

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The Consent Act

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In a debate article in the Bulletin, representatives of the network write that the ideology that permeates the application and that innocent men must prove their innocence, something that is rarely possible.

“These young men come from ordinary Swedish families and have not previously been in contact with the legal system, but now they are facing a tragedy that destroys their lives. The Consent Act, which aims to strengthen the protection of victims of sexual crimes, has in practice led to the presumption of innocence being set aside in the courts,” the debate article states.

Former Minister of Justice Morgan Johansson recently praised the consent law in a radio interview, which he pushed through with the support of radical feminist lobby organizations after #MeToo.

In practice, the law means that almost all sexual intercourse legally constitutes rape in Sweden and that it is sufficient for the woman to report it, since the man must then be able to explain how he obtained “consent” for each “new moment” during intercourse.

Since people don't have sex that way, it is often impossible in practice for the man to meet the requirements of the law, and then he is sentenced to a long prison sentence and forced to pay hundreds of thousands of kronor in damages to the woman.

The courts have also established a practice where women are more or less encouraged to set up a system to lie about rape, since the penalties are so low that the damages still make false reports a profitable business as long as you don't go there every time.

Despite the serious consequences for many young people affected, the Consent Act has not been criticized to any great extent in the debate, as it is taboo in Sweden.

“Morgan Johansson and the radical feminists have now ensured that hundreds of young Swedish men have been imprisoned innocently and had their lives ruined,” states the Mannaminne network in its article.

The representatives also note that many who have been convicted of violations of the Consent Act without evidence are forced to sit in prison with real violent criminals and pedophiles, which further damages their mental and physical health.

“The consequences extend beyond the prison cells, as these men are forced to live with a stigma that follows them for at least ten years after serving their sentence,” write the debaters and continue:

“Sweden needs legislation that protects society against real violent criminals, but that at the same time upholds the presumption of innocence and ensures that justice is served to those who have been innocently convicted. It is time for us as a society, review how consent laws are actually applied in practice – and ensure that our legal systems do not create more victims of legal uncertainty.”