Spain's parliament has passed legislation that makes consent a key factor in sexual assault cases.

The bill, known as the "only yes means yes" law, was passed on Thursday.

The new legislation will free prosecutors of having to prove that attackers used violence or intimidation.

The Spanish government decided on the legal revision following a case where a victim could not resist her attackers because of fear. The court cleared them of rape on the grounds that they did not use violence or intimidation.

Critics have also said requiring victims to explain in detail what happened to them could cause them further harm.

Other European nations have taken similar steps. Sweden revised a law in 2018 to recognize sex without explicit consent as a crime, and Denmark's parliament passed a similar bill in 2020.