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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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Original poster

France passes law saying children can consent to sex with adults

24 replies

Agerbilatemycardigan · 05/08/2018 14:15

Have just seen this on Twitter and hope to God it's not true.

yournewswire.com/french-law-children-consent-sex/

OP posts:

Iscreamforbenandjerrys · 05/08/2018 14:21

Bloody hell. I agree that the age of consent doesn't work if we are talking about a couple of similar age but there still needs to be protection from abuse. Surely Romeo and Juliet laws would be most suitable. No age of consent at all is a paedophile's charter to do anything. I feel so afraid for the children of France.

Original poster

Agerbilatemycardigan · 05/08/2018 14:24

I feel afraid for women and children in general. Our rights and protections are being eroded at a rate of knots. How the hell can anyone think this is okay.

I despair.

OP posts:

PeakPants · 05/08/2018 14:31

I don't think it's that straightforward actually. There is an age of consent in France which is 15. However, what they lacked was a law saying that it was impossible for children under a certain age to consent. For example, in England the age of consent is 16 but we accept that someone aged 13-15 can consent whereas someone under 13 cannot. So it would still be an offence for someone to have sex with a child in France, but it would not automatically be rape.

Also, in contrast to the OP's link, what I have found is that they have just voted to TIGHTEN the laws, not relax them, due to outrage over an inability to prosecute a rape of an 11-year old.
www.dw.com/en/france-passes-new-law-on-child-rape-sexual-harassment/a-44919914
However, it is clear from the article that many feel that this tightening of the law doesn't go far enough.

LassWiADelicateAir · 05/08/2018 14:32

That isn't quite accurate.

latest news on Schiappa law - Google Search
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.dw.com/en/france-passes-new-law-on-child-rape-sexual-harassment/a-44919914

LassWiADelicateAir · 05/08/2018 14:33

Also, in contrast to the OP's link, what I have found is that they have just voted to TIGHTEN the laws, not relax them

Yes, that is what I found too.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 05/08/2018 14:33

I Googled France age of consent" and this article appears to be contradicted by others, for instance, this Guardian piece of March this year, which talks of raising the age of consent to 15 after a court case.

There were other links but I can only easily paste one at a time.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 05/08/2018 14:33

A slightly different perspective

www.dw.com/en/france-passes-new-law-on-child-rape-sexual-harassment/a-44919914

BitOfFun · 05/08/2018 14:34

Really? I can't find a reputable news source for this, but I obviously want to know if there is one.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 05/08/2018 14:35

Whole lot of cross posting goin' on...

PeakPants · 05/08/2018 14:36

Yes, cross-post there Lass. I really don't think France is paving the way for a pedophile's charter by any means. Sex with anyone under 15 remains illegal.

LassWiADelicateAir · 05/08/2018 14:36

PeakPants sorry I have ia dreadful cross post here. I meant the OP's link wasn't accurate, not yours. Your post is accurate.

bkgirl · 05/08/2018 14:36

No excuses, no spin. This law tightens F.A. it legalises baby rape. Pedophiles are setting the liberal agendas CONSTANTLY.

Original poster

Agerbilatemycardigan · 05/08/2018 14:37

I would be delighted to be wrong on this, but am obviously concerned about children's rights being eroded.

OP posts:

PeakPants · 05/08/2018 14:40

This law tightens F.A. it legalises baby rape. Pedophiles are setting the liberal agendas CONSTANTLY.

What? No it doesn't. The age of consent has been 15 in France for yonks. This is a new law that makes it easier to prosecute for rape (rather than just sexual activity with someone under 15). If you read the article posted by others rather than just scaremongering hype, it will tell you that. And seeing as the 15 limit has been in place for so long, you will have to take it up with the long-dead pedophiles who originally passed the law and who probably weren't so liberal.

frenchfancy · 05/08/2018 14:40

The new law tighens up the existing law. Sex with someone Under 15 is an offence, that hasn't changed, but up until now it wasn't automatically classed as rape if the child consented. The new law tighens it up so if an adult has sex with a child and uses the vunerablility of the child to get consent then it is rape, but a 15 yr old with a 14 yr old isn't rape.

The law could have gone further but it is a step in the right direction.

UndRage13isOK · 07/10/2018 15:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/10/2018 15:35

Ye gods, OP!

I was talking about this with a friend in France. She was saying that it is a big step in the right direction and that further pushes for more amendments are in the pipeline. That article is diametrically opposed to what actually happened!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/10/2018 15:46

In fact, the more I think about that the more angry I am! It is like someone read

Most notably, the new law, which goes into effect in September, makes it easier for sexual intercourse between an adult and a minor under 15

and deliberately omitted the last bit to be charged as rape.

Danaquestionseverything · 07/10/2018 15:52

I’m honestly in 2 minds with this. 1st and foremost in relation to a lot of things I’ve been seeing posted online lately this seriously creeps me out. On the other hand as a mum of teenage boys it frightens me that they could possibly be called a sex offender for what is essentially teenage exploration. If there is no coercion and consent is agreed (I’m talking teens here) it really becomes a grey area.

I can remember as a teen myself wanting desperately to appear more older and mature than I was. It is also hard if they are not attending school together and meet in a social setting to judge a persons age. People lie. At 17 I dated a guy who I thought was 19 (as he told me) I found out he was 24.

Danaquestionseverything · 07/10/2018 15:53

Forgot to add I have discussed with DS1 the legality of intercourse.

placemats · 07/10/2018 16:02

Ugh! That link in the OP is not describing the issue at all. Seems to me the message was lost in the translation.

That link you posted Lass is also full of obfuscation. It also ends with the lovely video titled: The battle against child pornography.

There is and there never has been any such thing as child pornography.

I'm in agreement that this law doesn't go far enough to outright outlaw sexual intercourse with a child under 15 by an adult.

I have a son who is a teenager and he is very aware of consent and legal age.

I remember as a teenager being incredibly aware that sexual intercourse could lead to pregnancy. But then I was a teenager in Northern Ireland.

France has strict laws on abortion.

Danaquestionseverything · 07/10/2018 16:11

placemats

I hear you teenage pregnancy was my greatest fear. Probably more so as a child of a single mum who stressed not to repeat her mistakes (yeah really I’ve dealt with it).

placemats · 07/10/2018 16:38

It wasn't just her 'mistake' though.

I've drummed into my son that if he gets someone pregnant he is also a father for life too. He can't just run away from the 'mistake'.

Danaquestionseverything · 07/10/2018 16:58

No it wasn’t. She grew up in quite a conservative/traditional family. Father 20 years older than her mother. Was kicked out of home when pregnant with me. Never had any contact with my own father. I do think she carried guilt - why she referred to it as her mistake. As I teen I didn’t get that. I eventually did, that’s why I said dealt with. Probably poorly worded on my part.

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