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The
new law passed by parliament widened the circumstances that
could constitute rape - under the old legislation, prosecutors
had to show the rapist had used violence or attacked someone who
was unable to resist.
"Now it will be clear, that if both parties do no consent to
sex, then it's rape," justice minister Nick Haekkerup said in a
statement.
A similar law introduced in neighbouring Sweden in 2018 resulted
in a 75% rise in rape convictions.
Around 11,400 women a year are raped or subjected to attempted
rape in Denmark, according to the ministry's figures.
Amnesty International said Denmark had become the 12th country
in Europe to recognise non-consensual sex as rape.
"This is a great day for women in Denmark as it consigns
outdated and dangerous rape laws to the dustbin of history and
helps to end pervasive stigma and endemic impunity for this
crime," the campaign group's Women's Rights Researcher, Anna
Blus, said.
The law will take effect on Jan. 1.
(Reporting by Tim Barsoe; Editing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and
Andrew Heavens)
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