Sweden's new law on sexual consent came into effect on July 1. The new law will require those engaging in sexual activity to verbally or cleary otherwise consent to the act. Passive acquiescence is no longer considered a sign of consent. This means the burden of proof is no longer on the victim and prosecution to prove a rapist's intent: someone could be convicted of rape even without the use of force, threats or intimidation. The global #MeToo campaign pushed the issue to the fore, but the new law has been in the works for a while. One catalyst was the widely reported 2013 case when three men were acquitted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old as the court ruled it could not prove that they had acted against the victim's will (they were later convicted by an appeals court). It is hoped that the new law will help to improve the rate of conviction for crimes of sexual assault, with more victims feeling able to come forward, and it has been welcomed by ...