France toughens child sex laws but adds ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause for consensual relationships

New legislation in France means sex with a child under the age of 15 is now considered rape and has a maximum punishment of up to 20 years in jail.

While the age of consent was previously 15, prosecutors in France had to prove sex was non-consensual to obtain a rape conviction.

The final vote for the bill in French parliament on Thursday was unanimous, and brought the country’s laws closer in line with other Western nations.