Applicants for asylum and family reunification in Denmark should be given a course in the country’s sexual norms, contend four political parties seeking to reduce the number of rape convictions among immigrants and their descendants.
Some 212 of the 615 people convicted of rape in 2013 and 2014 were immigrants or their descendants – 34.5 percent of the total.
According to Metroxpress, Socialdemokraterne, Dansk Folkeparti, Konservative and Radikale believe a course would enable a more smooth introduction to Danish society.
Norway’s example
In 2011, Norway started holding five-hour courses at detention centres aimed at preventing assaults and rapes. Basics like understanding that a kiss is not an automatic ‘yes’ to sex is among the information taught in the classes.
“We in fact do asylum-seekers a disservice by not offering these classes,” Linda Hagen from Hero Kompetanse, a group that operates 34 asylum centres in Norway, told Metroxpress.
“They want to talk about and be trained in these subjects and they have many questions.”
Weekend attack
Over the weekend, three asylum-seekers aged between 21 and 27 from Eritrea were arrested for raping a 25-year-old woman from Eritrea in Hjørring.
DF group chairman Peter Skaarup said that he will immediately ask the government to look at the possibility of introducing courses.
“If what they are doing in Norway is working, we should copy it,” he told Metroxpress.
