In what’s said to be a landmark ruling, a Swiss judge has convicted a 47-year-old French man of rape after it was revealed that he removed his condom during sex without his partner’s consent. He had met the Swiss woman via Tinder and the two engaged in consensual sex. However, the Criminal Court in Lausanne ruled that the woman would not have agreed to sex with the man had she known he would take off the condom.

While he won’t spend any time in prison — he was given a 12 month suspended prison sentence that’s akin to probation — the fact that he was convicted at all was said to be “a first for Switzerland” and certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to protecting women. Given that the onus often falls on women to prove that they’ve been violated and then to shoulder the blame for their assault, it’s refreshing to see a case in which consent in all forms is given highest priority.

Given that the onus often falls on women to prove that they’ve been violated and then to shoulder the blame for their assault, it’s refreshing to see a case in which consent in all forms is given highest priority. That a woman should be not just accepting of but enthusiastic about all aspects of her sexual encounters with her partner seems like common sense, but unfortunately, the criminal justice systems in mostly all developed countries don’t necessarily rule according to this idea.

To see progress like this should give us all hope that somewhere out there, there are judges and lawmakers looking out for us. There’s such a long way to go, but this is a step in the right direction.