France, April 1 -- French lawmakers are debating a major change to how rape is defined in the country's penal code - an amendment that would make it clear that sex without consent is a crime.

The bill, which was examined in the National Assembly on Tuesday, comes after years of criticism over France's handling of sexual violence cases.

"Sexual crime has not decreased; victims are not better protected and rape culture persists," lawmakers Marie-Charlotte Garin and Veronique Riotton warned in a January report calling for reform.

They cited a troubling statistic: in 2018, the Ministry of Justice reported that 73 percent of sexual violence complaints were dismissed with no further action.

At present, French law defines rape as an act comm...