Council of Europe’s Draft Resolution on the Increase in Sexual Violence

On February 25, Birgit Bessin, a German politician from Alternative for Germany (AfD), a member of the Bundestag and of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,submitted to the Assembly a draft resolution titled “Measures to combat the rise in sexual and domestic violence against children and women in Europe”. The document points to the growing scale of sexual and domestic violence against women and children in Europe, highlighting alarming statistics from France and Germany. The signatories of the draft resolution emphasize the need for the reliable publication of detailed statistics by member states to enable the assessment of safety levels and the development of effective recommendations.

The draft resolution submitted by MP Birgit Bessin together with 22 signatories (among whom are Paweł Jabłoński, a Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland from Law and Justice, and Dmytro Natalukha, a Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Servant of the People party, as well as signatories from other European parties affiliated to the European Conservatives, Patriots & Affiliates group) addresses a range of issues related to the rise in violence against women and children in Europe.

First, the document cites statistical data on violence in France and Germany. According to data published by the French Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (Service statistique ministériel de la sécurité intérieure), the number of victims of sexual violence in France increased by 7% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching 122,600, while the number of rapes and attempted rapes rose by 9%. Overall, between 2016 and 2024, the number of victims of sexual violence more than doubled.

In the draft resolution, with reference to data from Germany, it is emphasized that the number of cases involving child and youth pornography online doubled between 2020 and 2022, reaching 48,821 reports. The document emphasizes that in 2022, 15,520 cases of child sexual abuse were recorded. The number of rapes, sexual assaults, and particularly serious sexual assaults recorded by the police nearly doubled between 2014 and 2024, reaching 13,320 cases.

Later in the draft, it is said that “the publication of these facts is welcome,” since “only by naming the problem can a lasting solution be found.” It was noted that member states should publish detailed statistics so that the Parliamentary Assembly can examine the state of “(in)security” and issue recommendations on best practices.

The drafters point out that the Assembly should call on member states to provide the police and judicial authorities with better training and equipment to combat sexual violence, and to ensure that victims of sexual violence have prompt and effective access to legal remedies, appropriate protective measures, and the best possible medical and psychological assistance. The document also calls for the discussion on the increase in the causes of sexual violence to be “transparent,” and for the issue itself to be treated as a priority. The document also called for drawing “far-reaching political conclusions in order to combat the root causes.”

In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Rule 26), further consideration of the request is up to the Bureau of the Assembly. It may decide to refer it to one or more committees, to forward it to the committees for information only, or to take no further action. If the appropriate committee (or committees) and the Bureau of the Assembly determine that the matter should move forward, a draft of the relevant resolution is prepared together with the committee’s report. Such a text already contains a specific proposal for adoption by the Assembly and is placed on the agenda of the plenary session, where it is subject to debate and a vote.

“The draft resolution submitted by a number of conservative members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should be interpreted in a broader context, linked to the rise in cases of sexual violence in many European countries. In many Council of Europe member states, the debate about the rising number of sexual offenses is increasingly being linked to the phenomenon of mass migration, which gives this topic a distinctly political dimension. In response, there is increasing emphasis on the need to develop reliable data on perpetrators and victims and on the need for an open, objective discussion of the factors behind the growing scale of such crimes. The draft resolution presented by the German politician clearly fits into this discussion,” notes Patryk Ignaszczak of the Ordo Iuris Center for International Law.