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Original poster

Age of Consent in France [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

35 replies

AngryAttackKittens · 14/02/2018 11:05

WTF? Did other people know about this? How has this possibly been allowed to continue until 2018?

France does not have a legal age under which a minor cannot agree to a sexual relationship – although the country’s top court has ruled that children aged five and under cannot consent. Lawyers for the suspect argued that the girl was consenting and aware of what she was doing, while lawyers for the girl have said she was simply too young and confused to resist.

So six year olds can legally consent, then? Because they're so much more developmentally advanced than 5 year olds?

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/14/french-girl-11-not-a-child-say-lawyers-for-man-29-accused-of-sexual-abuse

OP posts:
stoneagefertilitydoll · 14/02/2018 11:08

How can we have standardised on the regulation size for an acceptable kiwi fruit, and not done anything about this?

failingatlife · 14/02/2018 11:11

Wow. Just wowShockAngrySad.

Anasnake · 14/02/2018 11:13

Age of consent is 15

Branleuse · 14/02/2018 11:14

im shocked by this

QueenLaBeefah · 14/02/2018 11:23

That can't be right?

failingatlife · 14/02/2018 11:24

Anasnake the article states no legal age of consent but children under 5 are deemed incapable of consent. Where are you getting 15 from? I know nothing of French law just what i read in the link.

stoneagefertilitydoll · 14/02/2018 11:26

In France the age of consent is 15, but prosecutors still have to prove sex was non-consensual to prove rape.

So it looks like it's some arcane thing, where the age of consent exists, but it's not automatically non-consensual under that age.

Anasnake · 14/02/2018 11:27

www.ageofconsent.net/world/france

Anasnake · 14/02/2018 11:28

Age of consent also mentioned in this BBC article which also highlights some of the issues.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-41966245

Original poster
AngryAttackKittens · 14/02/2018 11:29

If an official age of consent does exist then this part makes no sense.

"President Emmanuel Macron’s government has proposed a bill to introduce a minimum legal age for sexual consent. It would include a provision saying that intercourse with children under a certain age is by definition coercive.

The proposed minimum age has not yet been decided on, but the cutoff could be between 13 and 15. The bill, a broad-based measure aimed at fighting “sexual and sexist violence”, is expected to be presented to the cabinet next month."

OP posts:
dragongirlx · 14/02/2018 11:32

This one made me bang my head of the wall in despair

SweetMoon · 14/02/2018 11:34

Age of consent in France is 15.

Original poster
AngryAttackKittens · 14/02/2018 11:35

RE BBC article, what's the point of having an official age of consent if having sex with someone under it is...what? Kind of a crime but not really? Also, if the new law being debated sets the age at which it's deemed coercion at 13, do you then have a category of 13 to 15 years old with whom sex is technically illegal but not deemed coercive, so that's OK then?

What a mess.

OP posts:
TemporarySign · 14/02/2018 11:36

Just shows that there should be a special hell for lawyers.

Obviously an 11 yr old does not know what's happening and cannot resist an adult either emotionally or physically. Well done France, demonstrating idiocy and exactly what you think of women and girls to the world.

frenchfancy · 14/02/2018 11:38

Ok - the legal age of consent is 15, so a 18 year old in a relastionship and having sex with a 15 yr old is legal. Under 15 it is not legal, but they are claiming that in order for a crime to be classed as rape, rather than sex with a minor, then the child needs to have refused, tried to get away, hit the man etc.

All came about because a 28 yr old man had sex with an 11 yr old, but because she didn't run away, scream and hit it has been decided that it is sex with a minor rather than rape - so 5 years max rather than 20 years.

Original poster
AngryAttackKittens · 14/02/2018 11:39

I really want to know where they got 5 from as the age where it's definitely deemed coercive below that. 5? Really? So, say, 8 would be totally different?

Wish I could edit the thread title to be clearer.

OP posts:
Datun · 14/02/2018 11:44

You can ask mumsnet to edit your title.

I think you can do it by reporting your own post and asking then.

Original poster
AngryAttackKittens · 14/02/2018 11:47

Done! Thanks Datun.

OP posts:
doctorcuntybollocks · 14/02/2018 11:51

A six year old has to prove that she resisted?

BigFishy · 16/02/2018 17:27

I am shocked.

frenchfancy · 16/02/2018 17:31

Many people in France are shocked too. It doesn't seem to have come up as an issue before -or at least not recently. I can only assume the facts in this case made the authorities apply the strict letter of the law. He can still get a 5 year sentence but it won't be classed as rape.

AssassinatedBeauty · 16/02/2018 17:41

It is horrifying that if a 6 year old cannot show that they refused or resisted somehow, it isn't considered rape. And the sentence is only up to 5 years, not 20. When anyone with half a brain and some small empathy for children would realise that sexually abusing a 6 year old is an appalling crime deserving a much more serious sentence.

A 6 year old wouldn't even know what was happening. And be terrified, freeze with shock.

Waddlelikeapenguin · 16/02/2018 18:15

I wonder why it's taken so long for the legal loophole to come to light?

Ereshkigal · 16/02/2018 21:07

It's actually the same here to an extent. Only sex with a child of 12 or younger is automatically rape. But sex with a child under 16 is illegal and carries similar penalties depending on the circumstances.

Ereshkigal · 16/02/2018 21:08

But not fucking 6, FFS.