The article is devoted to a comparative legal study of the norms providing for criminal liability for sexualcrimes in the Russian Federation and some European countries. Some features of criminal liability for thisgroup of crimes in Spain, France, Israel, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland are investigated. It is noted that theapproach to differentiation for violent sexual crimes in different countries is different. Several qualifyingcircumstances were noted that could be borrowed to improve our legislation. These include: the commissionof the alleged assault, by a relative, relative or relative by virtue of adoption, or by any other person havingauthority over the victim; if the victim has come into contact with the perpetrator of criminal acts throughthe use of telecommunication networks; if the act is committed by several persons acting as performersor accomplices; using his official position. The rule that if two or more of the qualifying circumstances arepresent is assessed, the penalty is imposed closer to the upper limit of the sanction. It is proposed to carry out an additional analysis of the ban on disclosing the person’s name or any other data that may indicatethe person as a victim or as having lodged a complaint that he is a victim of a crime against sexual freedomor sexual integrity. Attention is also drawn to sanctions for the group of crimes under consideration. In theRussian criminal law they are more humane than in foreign countrie