And if there was no consent, it was sexual violence. However, if you have concerns about child protection, you must provide information to the relevant authorities, even if you have not obtained your consent. The GDPR does not affect this principle. To protect yourself and the person you`re sleeping with, it`s important to understand what it means to give (and obtain) sexual consent. It`s very simple – learn more in our article on consent. Finally, note that the age of consent laws, which aim to combat the sexual exploitation of minors, are not the same as the minimum age of marriage, which aim to prevent child marriage. Now let`s take a closer look at the age of consent in some countries. Obscene laws on minors, which take precedence over the penal code, contain age of consent laws for some prefectures. In some, sexual activity with people under the age of 15 is illegal, but in others, the age is 18. In these prefectures, sexual activity with a person under the age of consent can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. Although rare, in some prefectures, even hugging or holding hands with minors can be illegal.
In March 1976, the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) called for an equal age of consent of 14 or 10 in Britain. [22] The reference to the Criminal Law Review Panel resulted in extensive media coverage. While acknowledging the benefits of abolishing the age of consent, the report proposes maintaining the prohibition on sexual relations before the age of 14 “as a compromise with public attitudes,”[23] stating that “while it is both logical and consistent with modern knowledge of child development to propose that the age of consent be abolished, We are concerned that, given the current public attitude towards this issue, it will not be politically feasible to abolish the age of consent. [24] They also argued that “voluntary childhood sexual experiences with an adult do not cause discernible harm” and suggested that more harm was caused when children recounted their experiences in court or in the press. The filing was signed by Harriet Harman, who was legal secretary of the NCCL at the time before becoming an MP in 1982. [25] Harman denied ever supporting lowering the age of consent to 10, saying the right-wing Daily Mail and The Telegraph newspapers had attempted to make them “guilty by associating” with fringe groups previously linked to the NCCL. [22] When a youth between the ages of 16 and 18 is in need of support and protection, services must assess which legal framework is best suited to the needs and circumstances of individuals. The National guidance for child protection in Scotland provides more detail and explains how professionals should act to protect young people from harm in different circumstances (Scottish Government, 2021). The age at which a person is considered legally capable of consenting to sexual activity varies widely around the world – and even in Europe. The Japanese Penal Code was introduced in 1907 and sets the age of consent at 13. Any sexual activity with a person under the age of 13 is considered legal rape and can carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
However, Chapter 34 of the Child Protection Act also prohibits “fornication” with children (defined as persons under the age of 18). Watch this short video on 6 simple ways to understand consent The age of consent in the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is 16. In addition, all UK territories have their own local age of consent laws. At present, however, all of these areas also set the age of consent at 16. In the UK, there are no exceptions for people close to age. Two people under the age of consent can be prosecuted for sexual activity. The age of consent in England and Wales is 16. This is the age at which young people can legally participate in sexual activity.
The age of consent in Mexico is 17. However, each of Mexico`s 20 territories also has its own age of consent laws, with minimum consent ranging from 14 in Tlaxcala to 18 in many regions. Mexico does not have an exemption for consent to the completion of old age. This means that two people under the age of 17 who voluntarily engage in sexual activity will both be prosecuted for rape.
