France sets age of consent to 15 years old, most of Europe age of consent 14-16

[CyberCubed]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43300313

France plans to fix the legal age of sexual consent as 15, meaning sex with someone younger than that would be considered rape.

Equality Minister Marlène Schiappa welcomed the move, which follows advice from doctors and legal experts.

Currently, prosecutors must prove sex with someone under 15 was forced in order to bring rape charges.

The change comes amid uproar over two recent cases of men accused of having sex with 11-year-old girls.

Under the existing legislation, if there is no violence or coercion proved, offenders may only be charged with sexual abuse of a minor and not rape . This has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (£66,000; $87,000).

Sentences are the same for sexual assaults of minors and non-minors , but rape convictions carry much harsher punishments.
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The government is to approve the new age limit as part of a package of other laws against sexual violence and harassment in the coming weeks.

It had been discussing whether to set the age as 13 or 15, which is what groups fighting violence against children had campaigned for.
Ms Schiappa told AFP news agency that she was "very glad" that the higher age was chosen. The limit is also supported by President Emmanuel Macron.

Minister of Solidarity and Health Agnès Buzyn said setting a legal age of sexual consent would allow a "collective awareness" and that everyone would see what was "legal and illegal", Le Figaro newspaper reports (in French).

Last November, a 30-year-old man was acquitted of rape after a court determined his 11-year-old victim had not been subjected to "constraint, threat, violence or surprise".

In another case, a court initially said a 28-year-old man should face charges of sexual assault, and not rape, after saying the victim was not physically forced to have sex.
But the same court reversed its decision last month, saying the accused should indeed face rape charges.

Legislation varies across Europe, with countries setting different legal ages of consent:

14 years old: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal
15: Greece, Poland, Sweden
16: Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Russia
17: Cyprus

In the UK the age of sexual consent is 16, but children under the age of 13 have additional legal protections that declare they can never consent to sexual activity.

I seriously had no idea the age of consent in France was so low. I knew Japan had age of consent around 14 or something, I had no idea this was the case in France.

In fact:




The vast majority of Europe has age of consent under 18. And you guys thought the U.S. was "behind the times," in most countries of the world an adult can have sex with a 15 year old and it's not against the law.

Man, it seems the U.S. standard doesn't apply to the rest of the world, I'm honestly shocked. In the U.S. if an adult has sex with a teen they go to jail, in most of Europe, Asia, and probably South America....it's legal?

Go U.S.A? It seems the U.S. is the only country in the world against pedophilia...I'm shocked.

[Sumac]

I thought it would be a thread about 'cubed wanting to move to France, not 'cubed pretending to be a Mormon.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Sumac

I thought it would be a thread about 'cubed wanting to move to France, not 'cubed pretending to be a Mormon.

I am never leaving the U.S., but I had no idea the age of consent in most countries was so low. I knew this was the case for a place like Japan, given they sexualize minors in anime all the time, but I didn't know this was common.

Is the U.S. really one of the few countries in the world where 18 years old is considered an adult, and anyone who has sex with someone under 18 is considered a pedophile and would face jail time?

[PApagreg]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

who has sex with someone under 18 is considered a pedophile and would face jail time?

They would be a pedophile if they had sex/attraction with a prepubescent child, a hebephile if it was a pubescent child, and a ephebophilia if the person was in their late teens.

[IndigoErth]

Legal consent or not, still kinda creepy though. Personally I feel there should also be a limit on just how old the adult party can be. A very young adult no more than a few years past attaining adulthood status with a girl/boyfriend who isn't far behind, whatever. But no 30-year-old needs to be hooking up with a 15-year-old... (And personally I'd be questioning his or her own emotional maturity.)

Then you've got the people who claim they couldn't tell because the teen looked older than they are. Was said teen unconscious? Because even if they make themselves look older, their mental/emotional maturity level is rarely going to be that of an adult's and give them way. Heck, even young 20s more often still aren't quite there compared to older 20s and up, so most people late 20s and over tend to have a 6th sense, so to speak, that someone is still rather young.

And having worked with plenty enough young 20-somethings (and a few late teens), lord knows I can't see what an older adult would even see appealing there; while they're all nice 'kids' they tend to be annoying at times. lol Not meaning any insult by saying so, but the place in life and priorities are just a lot different. (Though those I work with have made me realize the change in my own self over the years from back when I was more like them.)

Originally Posted by Sumac

I thought it would be a thread about 'cubed wanting to move to France, not 'cubed pretending to be a Mormon.

[Prowler]

I wouldn't place too much value in those numbers alone. Afaik, here the age of consent is like 16(dunno why it says 14 in that image you posted, Cubed), but I believe if someone were to date them they'd have to be no more than six or seven years older than the 16-17 year old. When I was in high school it was pretty common for 15-16 year old girls to have boyfriends aged 18-19. Pretty sure that is common everywhere else as well, including in USA. No one bats an eye to that sort of couple. Now, if a 40 year old man hits on a 16-17 year old high school girl, then obviously it's gonna be creepy and society will look heavily down on that.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by PApagreg

They would be a pedophile if they had sex/attraction with a prepubescent child, a hebephile if it was a pubescent child, and a ephebophilia if the person was in their late teens.

While true, in terms of the meanings of the words themselves, the legal definition changes depending on local statute. In some place everyone under 18 is considered a child.

[Sumac]

Age of consent in general meant to legally protect teenagers from creepy adults, not from having romances with each other. IMO, there is nothing wrong with young people starting sexual life in 14-15 years old. Starting families and having kids is another matter altogether.

Naturally, romance between, say 18 years old and 30 years old still might be considered creepy, even if it is not illegal according to law.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

While true, in terms of the meanings of the words themselves, the legal definition changes depending on local statute. In some place everyone under 18 is considered a child.

The definition of adult has also changed throughout history. Throughout most of history I bet 15 year old boys were already seen as adults and were expected to fight in war. Not to mention life expectancy on average was much lower several centuries ago. hell, even in the first half of the 20th century the life expectancy rates on average were much lower than they are now. If you were unlucky to get tuberculosis or something like that, you'd most likely die.

For the record, many women who are now 80-90 years old probably got married when they were 15-16 years old to men in their 20s. I remember this girl telling me once that her great grandmother was 15 when she married her husband, who was like 29-30 already. This was in like 1920 though. Obviously nowadays that wouldn't be allowed.

I guess back then, since life was harder and people began working very early(lots of older people I know began working at the age of 9-10 or so. My grandmother started working after she finished 4th grade for example), so I guess they matured faster as well? Nowadays it's not uncommon to find people in developed countries who are 25 years old and still haven't worked a day in their live.s back in the first half of the 20th century that'd have been pretty much impossible. Also most men went to war or served in the army back then and going to war back then was way more dangerous and you were highly likely to die. Nowadays if France or USA send soldiers to the Middle East they expect pretty much every single one of them to come back home alive and well. And needless to say, most developed nations no longer have compulsory military service.

Originally Posted by Sumac

Age of consent in general meant to legally protect teenagers from creepy adults, not from having romances with each other. IMO, there is nothing wrong with young people starting sexual life in 14-15 years old. Starting families and having kids is another matter altogether.

Naturally, romance between, say 18 years old and 30 years old still might be considered creepy, even if it is not illegal according to law.

Well most people begin dating and having sex in their late teens, I suppose, but it's usually among each other and not with people much older than them.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Prowler

grade for example), so I guess they matured faster as well? Nowadays it's not uncommon to find people in developed countries who are 25 years old and still haven't worked a day in their live.s back in the first half of the 20th century that'd have been pretty much impossible.

Not entirely true.
During the Industrial Revolution the median age for a woman's first marriage was in her late 20s or early 30s.
Should move to the city live in boarding house and work in a factory to save up enough money to set up a house and then she would marry.

[Refractive Reflections]

Originally Posted by Sumac

Age of consent in general meant to legally protect teenagers from creepy adults, not from having romances with each other. IMO, there is nothing wrong with young people starting sexual life in 14-15 years old. Starting families and having kids is another matter altogether.

Naturally, romance between, say 18 years old and 30 years old still might be considered creepy, even if it is not illegal according to law.

Yeah, but how many people that age have the mental maturity for that despite having the physical capability for it? How many 14-15 year olds are going to be responsible in strictly following contraception and STD prevention; with condoms, birth control, regular checks for STIs?

I don't know when the age for adult legal and financial responsibility begins in these European countries, but it seems somewhat awkward that society assumes teenagers that age have the maturity for sexual matters and being able to grasp the possible lifelong repercussions of it, yet do not have the maturity when it comes to taking out loans, having a full driver's license, renting a car, gambling, smoking, maintaining a full-time job, serving in the military, etc. ...Then again, maybe this disparity is found only in the USA.

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by Refractive Reflections

Yeah, but how many people that age have the mental maturity for that despite having the physical capability for it? How many 14-15 year olds are going to be responsible in strictly following contraception and STD prevention; with condoms, birth control, regular checks for STIs?

Proper Sex Education in school, and sex ed can also pop into other classes such as history, religion and biology.

I can't speak for all European countries but here in Norway there's no "abstinence-only" BS and teens are being provided with correct information so they can be safe, sex education is mandatory. We also provide free condoms at the school nurse office.