General
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.
Key points:
- France’s parliament unanimously voted in favour of the new legislation
- The new laws will allow consensual sex between people who are considered minors and people who are no more than five years older
- France has tightened its laws on sexual assault in recent years
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.
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