Archive
A curated collection of published articles, opinion pieces, academic references and public debate related to Sweden’s 2018 consent law.
Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
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Public Debate
Opinion pieces, essays, and public interventions that discuss legal, political, or social issues related to consent law, criminal justice, and the rule of law.
Media Coverage
Journalistic reporting from news outlets, magazines, and broadcast media covering cases, policies, and public discussion related to sexual offences and the justice system.
Government Reports
Official documents, parliamentary materials, and reports produced by public authorities, agencies, or legislative bodies.
Academic Research
Peer-reviewed studies, academic papers, and scholarly analyses examining legal frameworks, empirical data, and theoretical perspectives.
Latest publications
Growth of public discussion over time
Monthly publication counts illustrate how discussion of Sweden’s consent law has intensified over time, particularly in recent years, as legal, social and cultural debates have expanded.
Browse the archive
Below you will find the articles and references currently included in the SCLO archive, organized chronologically and updated on an ongoing basis.
Number of articles: 124
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Word for word – young men are imprisoned without evidence
Article arguing that young men are imprisoned for rape based on testimony alone, criticizing reliance on credibility assessments rather than corroborating evidence.
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Three years in prison or a slap on the nose? – Legal uncertainty in rape sentences
Debate article contrasting harsh prison sentences in rape cases with lenient outcomes in other contexts to highlight perceived arbitrariness and lack of proportionality in sexual-offence judgments.
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Credibility instead of evidence – a rule-of-law crisis in Sweden
Article arguing that Swedish courts increasingly rely on credibility assessments rather than objective evidence, framing this trend as a serious threat to legal certainty.
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Why is it eighteen times easier to obtain a retrial in Norway?
Opinion piece comparing Sweden and Norway regarding access to retrials, arguing that Sweden’s exceptionally high threshold makes it difficult to correct miscarriages of justice, particularly in sexual-offence cases.
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Mannaminne: In dubio pro reo – better to be free than to be caught
Debate article invoking the legal principle of ‘in dubio pro reo’ to argue that Swedish courts should prioritize acquittal in cases of evidentiary doubt, particularly in sexual-offence trials.
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Legal certainty or a lottery – how courts rule in rape cases
Debate article arguing that Sweden’s government bears responsibility for systemic weaknesses in sexual-offence adjudication, where courts allegedly convict without sufficient evidence. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
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Why are rapes without violence punished much more severely?
News analysis discussing sentencing practices in rape cases without physical violence, exploring legal definitions, aggravating factors, and proportionality.
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One year in prison for false rape accusation
News article reporting on a court case where an individual was sentenced to prison for making a false rape accusation, highlighting legal consequences of false reporting.
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Roulette in rape verdicts
Debate article arguing that outcomes in rape trials often depend on subjective credibility assessments rather than consistent evidentiary standards, creating arbitrary and unpredictable verdicts.