On Monday, September 21, deputies examined a new "comprehensive" bill aimed at addressing sexual violence in committee. While the majority supported measures that increase penalties for various forms of sexual and gender-based violence, some on the left expressed concerns. The bill, set to be presented to the full chamber on October 1st, includes a range of legal provisions targeting sexual assault, harassment, and abuse within families. It introduces new aggravating circumstances for rape, such as premeditation, recording of the act, or repeated offenses against the same victim. In such cases, the punishment could be up to 20 years in prison—equivalent to the penalty for raping minors under 15. In cases of serial rape or when the victim dies, the sentence could rise to 30 years. The bill also prohibits marriage between first cousins and expands definitions of incest to include not only close family members but also descendants and first cousins, with harsher penalties. Another notable change is the removal of the "Romeo and Juliette" clause, a provision introduced in 2021 that aimed to avoid automatically labeling sexual relationships between an adult and a minor under 15 as rape if the age difference was less than five years. Some deputies had wanted to revise this clause rather than remove it entirely. Additionally, a new offense has been created to penalize the unsolicited sending of explicit visual content, known as "cyber flashing" or "dick pics." This act could now result in up to one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros. The reform also includes institutional changes to improve the handling of sexual violence cases. Each court will now have two judges and a prosecutor specializing in sexual and domestic violence. Specialized assize courts for serious crimes will also be established. These changes have reignited discussions about how sexual violence cases are handled in the justice system, particularly the role of departmental criminal courts. These courts, made up solely of professional judges, have been in use since 2019 and became widespread in 2023 to reduce the workload of assize courts and speed up case processing. An amendment from the political group La France insoumise was approved, which excludes sexual crimes from the jurisdiction of these departmental courts. Another key part of the bill requires that before a complaint can be dismissed, certain investigative steps must be taken. This includes hearing both the victim and the suspect, preserving evidence, and identifying potential other victims. The committee also approved the creation of specialized units within the judicial police that the public prosecutor and investigating judge must consult in cases involving sexual, sexist, or domestic violence. These measures aim to ensure more thorough and specialized handling of such sensitive cases.