- Jun 18, 2014
- 30,521
- 16,866
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Messianic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
PARIS — As a campaign to crack down on sexual harassment intensifies, France is considering doing something long ago adopted in other Western nations: setting a minimum age of consent for having sex.
In recent court cases, judges refused to prosecute men for having sex with minor children because there was no proof of coercion.
“We want the irrefutable presumption that a minor cannot agree to engage in sex with an adult,” said Catherine Brault, a lawyer who defends child victims in Paris.
The measure is part of proposed legislation to curb “lecherous" behavior in France, part of the fallout from the sexual harassment scandals that have erupted in the United States and since spread to France.
Adults now can be charged with groping and sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison if they’re found guilty of abusing a child under 15. The more serious charge of aggravated sexual assault or rape of a child carries a sentence of up to 20 years — but coercion or violence must be proven.
In France, there is no minimum age of consent for sex — that may change soon
In recent court cases, judges refused to prosecute men for having sex with minor children because there was no proof of coercion.
“We want the irrefutable presumption that a minor cannot agree to engage in sex with an adult,” said Catherine Brault, a lawyer who defends child victims in Paris.
The measure is part of proposed legislation to curb “lecherous" behavior in France, part of the fallout from the sexual harassment scandals that have erupted in the United States and since spread to France.
Adults now can be charged with groping and sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison if they’re found guilty of abusing a child under 15. The more serious charge of aggravated sexual assault or rape of a child carries a sentence of up to 20 years — but coercion or violence must be proven.
In France, there is no minimum age of consent for sex — that may change soon
