Senegal: Govt passes bill criminalizing rape and paedophilia

On Thursday, the government of Senegal has passed a bill that criminalizes rape and paedophilia. “Under the legislative and regulatory texts, the cabinet examined and adopted the draft law amending Act No. 65-60 of 21 July 1965 on the Penal Code with chapters aimed at tightening the repression of rape and paedophilia and sanctions that could go as far as life imprisonment,” reported the final communiqué of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

By passing the law criminalizing rape and paedophilia, the government of Senegal is responding to a request from civil society, mainly women’s organisations fighting gender-based violence, including rape.

Around 706 girls and women were raped in Senegal between 2017 and 2018, the committee against violence against women and children stated. The committee pointed out that most of the rapes committed are followed by murders, with 14 women killed as a result of rape in 2019.

“And three of these women were minors, both of whom were pregnant,” the committee against violence against women and children stated.