Linnea Wegerstad
Senior lecturer
Sense and Caution : A Comparative Perspective on Sweden’s Negligent Rape Law
Author
Editor
- Elisa Hoven
- Thomas Weigend
Summary, in English
Many jurisdictions have broadened the scope of criminalized sexual violence through the introduction of consent-based models. At the same time, measures have been taken in regards to the subjective elements for criminal liability in answer to a common defence in rape cases: namely, that the defendant lacked knowledge of the other person’s lack of consent. While some jurisdictions have introduced limitations to the defence of mistaken belief in consent – for example, the ‘reasonable steps’ provision in Canada – other countries, like Sweden, have introduced negligence as a sufficient fault element for rape liability. This paper examines the recently established negligent rape law in Sweden as one instance of a trend: a move in sex crimes law towards introducing a duty of diligence for persons who initiate sexual acts. I use a rape case from a Swedish court of appeal to illustrate fault elements across jurisdictions and to discuss some implications of criminal law operating with a diligence standard.
Department/s
- Law and Vulnerabilities
- Health Law
- Department of Law
Publishing year
2022
Language
English
Pages
119-126
Publication/Series
Consent and Sexual Offenses : Comparative Perspectives
Links
Document type
Book chapter
Publisher
Nomos
Topic
- Law
Keywords
- Criminal law
- Comparative law
- Rape
- Straffrätt
- Komparativ rätt
Status
Published
Project
- The #metoo momentum and its aftermath:digital justice seeking and societal and legal responses
- #Metoo-skalvet och dess efterdyningar: Om brottsoffers sökande efter rättvisa och den samhälleliga och rättsliga responsen
Research group
- Law and Vulnerabilities
- Health Law
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-3-7489-3024-2
- ISBN: 978-3-8487-8653-4