In a historic display of cross-party unity, Italian lawmakers have taken a significant step toward redefining sexual violence in the country’s penal code. On Wednesday, Members of Parliament voted to expand the definition of rape to include non-consensual acts, a move that marks a rare collaboration between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party and opposition leader Elly Schlein’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD). The proposal, which now awaits Senate approval, aims to simplify the prosecution of sexual assault by eliminating the requirement for victims to prove physical coercion, threats, or abuse of authority. Currently, Italy’s legal framework defines rape solely through these criteria, a standard that advocates argue places undue burden on survivors. The amendment, spearheaded by PD MP Laura Boldrini, seeks to shift the focus of trials to the perpetrator’s conduct rather than the victim’s actions. Boldrini emphasized that the reform is crucial to countering persistent societal prejudices that often blame women for the violence they endure. The proposed law does not alter the existing penalty for rape, which remains a prison sentence of six to twelve years. This legislative push follows a series of controversial court rulings in recent years, including a case where a man’s acquittal was overturned after an appeals court rejected the initial verdict that the victim, a 17-year-old, should have anticipated assault because she was not a virgin. The lower house’s Justice Commission approved the amendment last week, with direct support from both Meloni and Schlein, signaling a potential turning point in Italy’s approach to addressing sexual violence.