Alignment of national sexual violence legislation to international standards

A number of international treaties to which the Republic of Moldova is a party provide for a series of standards regarding sexual violence, including sexual violence against women, which are not currently reflected in the national legislation of our country. The criminal law must be neutral regarding the sex of the offenders, as well as avoid discriminatory distinctions based on the sexual orientation of the subjects. Thus, non-consensual sexual intercourse represents rape, the sex of the subjects being irrelevant, and all forms of sexual intercourse should be included in the definition of rape. At the same time, survivors of all gender-based offenses, including those of sexual crimes, must benefit from protection measures in the form of protection orders.