To think the age of consent should be raised to 18 if there is a significant age gap?

[Waitingforthesunnydays]

Watched a documentary recently where a 16-year-old girl was preyed on by a 24-year-old man online. He was controlling and abusive and convinced her to move hundreds of miles away from her family with him. Obviously, being 16, she thought she was in love and didn’t see the abuse for what it was. Her mum and the police could do nothing about it cos she was 16. Made me think, AIBU to think the age of consent should be 18 if one of the people involved is more than 4 or 5 years older than the other? Makes sense to me. Lots of 16 year olds are so naive and inexperienced and have no idea how to spot abusive behaviour. Many have a romanised idea of love and think the behaviour is a sign of being in love rather than control & abuse

How could it be enforced?

Well in a situation I described at least, the man could be prosecuted and that would stop them being able to have a relationship- in the same way that an adult man who grooms a 15-year-old for sex online would be

Totally unenforceable and unworkable.

So, ok to vote for political representation (I don’t actually agree with) but not to have intercourse or get married….

Why anymore unenforceable than the current law? Other jurisdictions have this and it seems to work fine.

I don't know...I was 17 when I met my exH and he was nearly 27. We were together 10 years, married for 4 and had a DD who is now 14. He wasn't abusive and I wasn't coerced.

I think there are just too many variables and 2 different rules makes it too complex. I wouldn't be averse to the age of consent being 18 but it would be completely impossible to enforce (as is the current 16 limit) so what's the point

I don't think the government want to add to the burden of the justice system in this way. Prisons are already full. It isn't workable anyway.

Just because that story had one person 8 years older who was a stalker. He should be done for that. And grooming if contact started under 16.

Either you can consent or not. You can't have a law that says you can consent to one person but not another based on their birth certificate.

Yanbu x

The age of consent should be 18 regardless.

Hasn't the age of marriage been increased to 18.
.
Fixing the age to 16 caused enough problems about 150 years ago - it was 13 and the members of parliament didn't want their mates or their sons being criminalised as they were fond of associating with very young women from the streets who were forced into sex work through poverty.

I would prefer it to be something about age difference and vulnerability.

I'm surprised this seems unpopular. I think it's quite a good idea. Overall 18 seems a better age of consent (the idea a man of 50 can have sex with a 16 year old is repulsive) but some sort of Romeo and Juliet law means we aren't prosecuting people 3 months older than their boyfriend or whatever.

Oh well let’s not bother with most of the laws there to protect girls or women eh? 🙄

I think it’s an excellent idea op. Unfortunately apathy reigns when it comes to female safeguarding as this post demonstrates.

I agree with this.

💯

OP tinkering around the edges is unworkable.

Many have a romanised idea of love

There’s nothing wrong with a Romanised view of love, but I’m afraid she may have to join a legion to get citizenship. It’s not just “love a Roman, marry a Roman, be welcomed by the Empire” anymore.

I think it would be difficult to enforce and there would be grey areas.

It’s probably more about educating girls and boys about consent and about spotting controlling behaviour and red flags.

Voting isn’t going to result in potential rape and life-long psychological damage. The legal age to marry is now 18 in England and Wales (like it always should’ve been). Keep up

18 is ridiculous🙄 And I've never found anyone anywhere near my own age remotely attractive either.

It’s far more difficult and complicated to prosecute someone for stalking than it is to prosecute someone for sex with a child. The latter is much more clear cut and easy to prove. Just because a law would be difficult to enforce does that mean we just shouldn’t bother? No. Many countries have consent laws where it’s not legal for a much older person to have sex with a person who is at the age of consent but is legal when both partners are the same age. So it’s not some impossible, unknown law

Yes but we all know that many, many adult men do find teenage girls much younger than them very attractive…

Yes, of course, most men do. That's human nature.

When I was at 6th form a few girls had boyfriends much older than them. Of course all women can be duped by online predators.

I think it should be 18 across the board, regardless of the age of the other person. Sex is for adults. Ditto marriage and parenthood (nobody under 18 would ever be considered for adoption or guardianship of a child). The law as it stands basically approves situations where someone could become a parent before there's a chance of them being a responsible one - before they even have the option to marry, have a home in their own name, get any job that pays them decently etc. Madness.

(And the same with driving).

But the point is, most fully grown women have had the chance to get the life and relationship experience required to spot predatory behaviour and aren’t as easily duped. Yes it still happens but it’s much, much more likely to happen to a 16 year old girl who has zero experience of relationships or the behaviour of men.

It's 16 for voting and marriage in Scotland.
Which is still part of the UK....