The age of consent in Europe, Asia or another continent varies by country and territory. The age of consent is between 12 and 21 years, with most countries between 14 and 16 years. Nearly a dozen countries, including Iran, Qatar, Yemen and Afghanistan, completely ban premarital sex but have no age restrictions on marital sex. Several other countries have an age of consent above 16, including Cyprus (17), Ireland (17), Turkey (18), Iraq (18), Vietnam (18) and Bahrain (21). In addition, some countries provide for age-related exceptions, others do not. Whether the age of consent is 16 or 18 makes no difference if there is no intention to enforce it – if the real intention is to promote sexual freedom alongside contraception and abortion. (2) A girl under sixteen years of age may not lawfully give consent that would prevent an act from constituting bodily harm within the meaning of this section. In El Salvador, the age of consent appears to be 18 (although laws regarding sexual acts with persons between the ages of 15 and 18 are ambiguous). All Mexican states (as well as Mexico City) have laws on corruption of minors that can be used to punish sexual relations with persons under the age of eighteen upon complaint by the family (or minors). Although actual prosecutions for violations of juvenile corruption laws (and age of consent laws in general) are sporadic, regional, and highly situational, many Mexican states still classify corruption of minors as a “delicate grave” in their penal codes. In North America, the legal age of consent to sexual activity varies by province or territory. Female homosexuality was never illegal in the former British colonies; Oral sex was legalized in 1969 with the same age of consent as vaginal sex. Thirty-one states have set the age of consent at 16, eight at 17 and eleven at 18.
Twenty-six states have “Romeo and Juliet” laws, or age limit laws, that legalize sexual activity between underage participants if they are close enough to each other in age. The maximum age differences in these laws vary from state to state. For example, in Colorado, the age of consent is 17, but people under 15 can consent to a partner under four years older, and those under 15 or 16 can consent to a partner up to 10 years older. By comparison, Arizona law sets the age of consent at 18, allowing teens between the ages of 15 and 17 to consent to sex with partners under 24 months of age. Costa Rica does not have an exact age for consent, but there are age limits between sexual partners, regardless of gender. [23] The age of consent should be enforced, regardless of who is involved. I don`t think that`s happening anytime soon. In almost all Australian territories, including the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, the age of consent in Australia is 16. However, two Australian territories, Tasmania and South Australia, have raised the age of consent to 17.
As in many countries, the age of consent increases to 18 if the oldest participant is in a position of care or authority (teacher, guardian, clergy, etc.) over the minor participant. Many jurisdictions have age-related exceptions that also vary by region. The age of consent in St. Kitts and Nevis is 16. [43] The age of consent in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is 15. [45] The penalty for the lawful rape of a girl over the age of 13 but under the age of 15 is five years in prison; Under 13 years of age is life imprisonment. [46] It seems to me that this is exactly what Senator Crawford is proposing. A report in The Gleaner of 3 December 2003 states: “It also wants the government to provide the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Centre with sufficient staff to investigate all teenage pregnancies. He suggests that these investigators should have the power to take DNA from suspects.
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. In Guatemala, the age of consent is 18, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender. The Law against Sexual Abuse, Exploitation and Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted in February 2009 and provides for prison sentences ranging from 13 to 24 years for sexual relations with minors, depending on the age of the minor. [32] The age of consent in Central American countries is between 15 and 18 years.