Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Thursday March 08 2018, @01:57AM   Printer-friendly
from the protecting-children dept.

France to set legal age of sexual consent as 15

France plans to fix the legal age of sexual consent as 15, meaning sex with someone younger than that would be considered rape.

Equality Minister Marlène Schiappa welcomed the move, which follows advice from doctors and legal experts. Currently, prosecutors must prove sex with someone under 15 was forced in order to bring rape charges. The change comes amid uproar over two recent cases of men accused of having sex with 11-year-old girls.

Under the existing legislation, if there is no violence or coercion proved, offenders may only be charged with sexual abuse of a minor and not rape. This has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (£66,000; $87,000).

[...] The government is to approve the new age limit as part of a package of other laws against sexual violence and harassment in the coming weeks. It had been discussing whether to set the age as 13 or 15, which is what groups fighting violence against children had campaigned for.

Les commentaires déplorables.

Also at The Local, NPR, and SBS.

Related: French Porn Star Hits Back at President Emmanuel Macron's Plans to Censor Online Porn


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by Techwolf on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:36AM (47 children)

    by Techwolf (87) on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:36AM (#649285)

    Why use a fixed number instead of actual sexual maturity? (I forget the medical term for it.)

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:43AM (12 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:43AM (#649287) Journal

    How invasive would an investigation to determine sexual maturity be? And, what definition is used? "If she's old enough to bleed, she's old enough to breed"? And, the sexual maturity of either party to an encounter doesn't define abuse, rape, or much of anything else.

    It's a helluva lot less invasive for the court to ask the girl involved, "What was your date of birth?"

    I'm not real sure that 15 is the "right age", but it's apparently better than what France had. And, it is just about what the US has. Here, sexual relations with 15 to 18 year old girls is viewed less harshly than relations with 14 or younger.

    Face it: predators are predators, and predators like young vulnerable things. Fifteen sounds like a pretty good place to establish some limits.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:00AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:00AM (#649332)

      How invasive would an investigation to determine sexual maturity be? And, what definition is used? "If she's old enough to bleed, she's old enough to breed"? And, the sexual maturity of either party to an encounter doesn't define abuse, rape, or much of anything else.

      Old enough to pee, old enough for me! Boo-yah!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:53AM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:53AM (#649350)

      How invasive would an investigation to determine sexual maturity be?

      It wouldn't be. You simply investigate each case individually to determine if an actual rape took place, rather than lazily declaring that anyone under age X cannot consent. You know, the same thing we do when someone is accused of raping an adult: Investigation. But that's too nuanced for our ridiculous society.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:22AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:22AM (#649408)

        Because a 55 year old guy having sex with a 5 year old girl just might be consentual...

        You live in either a very beautiful or very ugly world.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:28PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:28PM (#649644)

          And why is that the first example that pops into your head, rather than something more reasonable? The problem with these arbitrary ages is that there are nearly always exceptions, and just like we say that it's better for countless criminals to get away than for one innocent person to be convicted, I'd say it's better to err on the side of freedom here is well. But because The Children are involved, few can think rationally.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:24AM (7 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:24AM (#649411)

      A hormone level/balance test should not be that intrusive.

      Sample some blood, see how the levels and balance of various hormones hold up towards the averages of a child (no sexual hormones), a teen (pretty much messed up :-) ) and an adult (balanced hormones within a certain bandwidth).

      And it will provide a nice way of finding the (future) predators/wackos with their messed up hormones that are causing most of the problems right now anyway...

      • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:02PM (5 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:02PM (#649504) Journal

        Uh-huh - yeah - I'm with you on that! It's not invasive at all to take a blood sample! Nope, not even a little bit! Bleed that bitch dry! We've got to decide whether she is old enough to rape, or if our Good Old Boy should have thrown her back. Those young ones are catch and release, right? </sarcasm>

        Seriously, man - the girl says she was raped, and you want to stick her with a needle? This makes less sense than poking her already abused vagina with a swab in search of semen. Oh, wait, the rapist says it was consensual? Oh, well then, it's alright - bleed the bitch!!

        • (Score: 2) by ewk on Friday March 09 2018, @08:39AM (4 children)

          by ewk (5923) on Friday March 09 2018, @08:39AM (#649891)

          No woman ever lied... Sure....

          --
          I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
          • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 09 2018, @02:37PM (3 children)

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 09 2018, @02:37PM (#649963) Journal

            Nor has any man ever lied. More to the point, no woman has ever been raped by a man, right? Every case ever investigated was found to be trumped up.

            I've got an idea. In this age of social justice, and putting down white hetero males, why don't we just have a judicial lottery system? 50% of rape suspects are put to death, and 50% are exonerated, and the victims are put to death instead. Notice, I limited that to white hetero males, because only white hetero males have raped every gender, race, nationality, and culture they have ever met. /sarcasm

            • (Score: 2) by ewk on Friday March 09 2018, @03:02PM (2 children)

              by ewk (5923) on Friday March 09 2018, @03:02PM (#649985)

              Please tell me what you have been snorting... that way I know what to avoid.

              Social justice is neither, so sarcasm or not, your rant totally missed my point of applying the right amount of due diligence where it is needed.

              --
              I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
              • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday March 09 2018, @03:38PM (1 child)

                by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 09 2018, @03:38PM (#650022) Journal

                Did I neglect my /sarcasm tag?

                • (Score: 2) by ewk on Friday March 09 2018, @05:42PM

                  by ewk (5923) on Friday March 09 2018, @05:42PM (#650111)

                  Nope, hence my remark of "so sarcasm or not".

                  But, if your reaction was an extension/elaboration to mine, then my ability to recognize it as such, needs a bit of fine tuning. :-)

                  --
                  I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
      • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:47PM

        by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:47PM (#649543)

        A hormone level/balance test should not be that intrusive.

        Not that intrusive for the court, maybe. Although I would also disagree with that.

        It's much more intrusive for meeting people on the street than a simple ID check.

        --
        "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:57AM (4 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:57AM (#649294) Journal

    Because knowledge of medicine and mental health is tenuous [sciencemag.org] at best.

    What is your new standard going to be? Fertility/first period? That would effectively lower the age of consent for most girls/women, and could have loopholes, like drug or diet-induced early onset of puberty. Mental maturity? Probably impossible to determine without privacy-killing "mind reading" technology, and subject to bias.

    There can be no common sense or evidence-based approach, only arbitrary laws for things like this, or which drugs to ban, etc.

    Have voters considered ballot initiatives on this topic? We could add to the clusterfuck with a little direct democracy. Let's see which states can get the age of consent to 19 or 11.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:16AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:16AM (#649327)

      I wanna see a state get the age of consent to 33. Isn't that part of some wacky religious tradition?

    • (Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:14AM (1 child)

      by NotSanguine (285) <NotSanguineNO@SPAMSoylentNews.Org> on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:14AM (#649338) Homepage Journal

      There can be no common sense or evidence-based approach, only arbitrary laws for things like this, or which drugs to ban, etc.

      Have voters considered ballot initiatives on this topic? We could add to the clusterfuck with a little direct democracy. Let's see which states can get the age of consent to 19 or 11.

      I agree with the first bit. Even if it is arbitrary, trying to determine, on a case-by-case basis whether someone is mature enough to consent would be a legal and constitutional nightmare.

      As for age of consent laws in North America [wikipedia.org], Canada has a uniform age of consent (16), in the US (ranging from 16-18) and Mexico (ranging from onset of puberty to 14)*, the age of consent is set on a state-by-state basis.

      I can't speak to Canada or Mexico, but in the US, representative governments presumably enact age of consent laws commensurate with the preferences of the electorate.

      *Which makes this [youtube.com] a *little* less disturbing. :)

      --
      No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
      • (Score: 2) by ewk on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:43AM

        by ewk (5923) on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:43AM (#649414)

        Of course it would be a legal and constitutional nightmare, after all, this is not a legal and constitutional problem.

        It's a biological and psychological problem. Solving that with some arbitrary limit on only one (age) of the biological factors involved seems overly simplistic.

        --
        I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
  • (Score: 2, Troll) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:08AM

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:08AM (#649299) Homepage Journal

    What they have now is called consent. They ask, was there consent? Can this person consent? And maybe they're too young to consent, you know? And the courts decide on that one by one, there isn't a certain age for that. So many places, there's a certain age and it's the same for everybody in that Country or that state. Not in France. Alabama, it's 16 in Alabama. And maybe, probably, the folks in France want to try something different. Where it's ALWAYS a problem if she's under 15 and you're over 15.

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:10AM (13 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:10AM (#649300)

    What we should do is perform an MRI scan on the female's pelvis to determine if she is a girl or woman. Model the bone structure in a computer, and determine if a large baby (for example 5 kg / 11 pounds) could be safely born without medical intervention. If that would work, then the female is a woman and she gets that marked on an ID card.

    For a male, he must have a home that he solely pays for or owns. He must show that he has an ability to support a woman and any resulting children. He likewise gets his status marked on an ID card.

    I wonder what the record-breaking low age would be for each sex. It's probably something that sounds absurd until you actually look at the people in question.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:37AM (9 children)

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:37AM (#649310) Journal

      For a male, he must have a home that he solely pays for or owns. He must show that he has an ability to support a woman and any resulting children. He likewise gets his status marked on an ID card.

      1. Initiate universal basic income protocol.

      2a. Make the benefits opt-in (not universal), but require temporary or permanent sterilization to receive them.

      OR

      2b. Lower the age of consent for boys to the point at which virility is achieved. A government approved IoT onahole will be issued to every household for sperm evaluation. It will also genetically identify the current user.

      OR

      2c. Kill all (males|females). The remaining (females|males) will reproduce artificially.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:14AM (8 children)

        by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:14AM (#649379)

        2c. Kill all (males|females). The remaining (females|males) will reproduce artificially.

        I actually like this one, but without the killing part: just sterilize everyone, and do all reproduction artificially and let the state handle child-rearing. Right now, it's a disaster, with the people who make the very worst parents having the most kids, and the people who'd make good parents having few or none, and a huge number of kids growing up in poverty (with society basically outsourcing a lot of reproduction to improverished people through some meager handouts).

        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:36AM (4 children)

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:36AM (#649388) Journal

          let the state handle child-rearing. Right now, it's a disaster...

          If you think the problems we create are bad, ... [shopify.com]

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
          • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:59PM (3 children)

            by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:59PM (#649551)

            Other countries seem to do just fine with their governments. Do Norwegians complain about their government? From over here, it seems like their government works decently well. Same for the Danish government and the Swiss government. The Japanese government doesn't seem too bad either; they sure do a much better job with public transit and trains than we do (or just about anyone for that matter).

            Just because one country can't seem to have an effective government doesn't mean they're all necessarily like that.

            • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:19PM (2 children)

              by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:19PM (#649717) Journal

              Do Norwegians complain about their government? From over here, it seems like their government works decently well. Same for the Danish government and the Swiss government. The Japanese government doesn't seem too bad either;

              Do the govts you listed substitute themselves for parenting (like the OP suggested some should try)?

              --
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
              • (Score: 3, Touché) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:35PM (1 child)

                by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:35PM (#649725)

                No, I don't think any governments do that, except maybe the US government where letting your young children out of your sight in public is a high crime and will get you arrested for "child abandonment". Meanwhile, over in Japan, young children (like 7-8) are pushed out of the home and made to walk themselves to school instead of having helicopter parents with them every minute of the day.

                But if governments did decide to get into the business of parenting, it seems like those countries would probably figure out a pretty good way of doing it somehow, perhaps getting retired people involved with the kids to an extent, organizing activities to mix them with other parts of society, etc. In the US, they'd probably just set up big compounds resembling prisons, run by large corporations under contract.

                • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday March 08 2018, @11:12PM

                  by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @11:12PM (#649762) Journal

                  perhaps getting retired people involved with the kids to an extent, organizing activities to mix them with other parts of society, etc

                  You mean like in those Second World countries, where the retired grandparents aren't automatically discarded into the jaws of an aged care industry which they can't afford, but kept nearby and contributing to the care and education of their grandchildren. Keeping the retired moderately active also improve their quality of life.

                  Who would have thought the natural way (which, as side effect, deny profits to an industry worth zillions in First World countries) could be better?

                  --
                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:49AM (1 child)

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:49AM (#649392) Journal

          The cries from the religious and civil rights activists would be intense. It would be seen as eugenics, playing God, and/or an attempt to wipe out the disproportionately poor black population. It would probably spark a kind of civil war and intense domestic terrorism. It would never get proposed in the first place because America runs on Dunkin'... I mean it runs primarily on Jesus Christ. It's not clear that America has an overpopulation crisis or that additional people would be bad for the economy. There are also other, more conspiracy-y ways to get rid of citizens. Ground wars probably wouldn't do enough and we don't have conscription anymore. Ramping up the Drug War and playing both sides (dealer and DEA) could score some casualties. The CIA can give pointers. The CDC says heroin-related deaths [cdc.gov] increased by a factor of 5 from 2010-2016. And if you've seen the anemic White House summit(s) [soylentnews.org] on the issue, you'll know that the trend might not be reversing anytime soon. So for all we know, the plan is in full effect. And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.

          --
          [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
          • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:54PM

            by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:54PM (#649546)

            The cries from the religious and civil rights activists would be intense. It would be seen as eugenics, playing God, and/or an attempt to wipe out the disproportionately poor black population. It would probably spark a kind of civil war and intense domestic terrorism.

            Well, how about we eliminate the sterilization part and just do the second part?

            One significant issue is that, if we just continue with things as they are, populations are going to decrease. In most western countries, the only reasons populations are increasing at all is because of immigration. In Japan, it's decreasing, since they don't have much immigration. We're now finding that when a society is educated and prosperous and technological, no longer agrarian, and no longer treats women as second-class citizens mainly consigned to being incubators and domestic servants, that people just don't have many kids, if any. Assuming every society reaches this state of education and relative peace and prosperity and technologicalism eventually, then the phenomenon we have now of people migrating from poor countries to richer ones will slow down and finally stop, but the birth rates everywhere will be low, and population globally will start falling. At that point, what is society supposed to do? Sure, maybe we don't *need* 10B people, but smaller societies are less productive societies, and it's unlikely there's going to become a natural equilibrium: people just don't want to have 2.5 kids per couple when they're employed and have better things to do with their time than change diapers and aren't being forced into that line of work.

            The society depicted in Brave New World may seem extreme from our current point-of-view, but I see it as the realistic choice when a society has reached the point where its members simply aren't willing to become unpaid volunteers doing the labor necessary to maintain or expand the population.

        • (Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday March 08 2018, @11:37AM

          by GreatAuntAnesthesia (3275) on Thursday March 08 2018, @11:37AM (#649440) Journal

          That's a Brave New World you are describing.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:47AM (2 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @03:47AM (#649315) Journal

      You work for the TSA, don't you?

      What scientific evidence, exactly, do you base your sexual maturity on bone structure alone? The pelvis plays an important role in natural childbirth - but the pelvis doesn't determine maturity level of the organs involved. One of the reasons mankind has developed Casearian sections is, not all women's pelvises develop in the same way, or at the same time. It's far more common for other factors to dictate a C-section, but the pelvis is a consideration.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:15AM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:15AM (#649326)

        By looking at bone structure, we at least measure something sort of legit. Age is stupid.

        You may have noticed that some females fail to become women under this definition. Oh well, that sucks. You shouldn't endanger the life of a baby.

        • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:29AM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:29AM (#649386) Journal

          You shouldn't endanger the life of a baby.

          So we all have to comply with your view of life, do we? Or is that based upon your own religious beliefs? Not all medical operations are voluntary, some things happen due to circumstances beyond an individual's control. However, your own personal views are not the way we should decide whether an offence has taken place or not.

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by ilPapa on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:42AM (6 children)

    by ilPapa (2366) on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:42AM (#649347) Journal

    Why use a fixed number instead of actual sexual maturity? (I forget the medical term for it.)

    The medical term is pedophilia, you sick bastard.

    "If they're old enough to bleed, they're old enough to butcher" might be fine in Kentucky or Alabama, but in civilized places it's more appropriate to set a standard than to have you performing pelvic exams on girl scouts to see if they're old enough to date.

    --
    You are still welcome on my lawn.
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:56AM (5 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:56AM (#649351)

      The medical term is pedophilia, you sick bastard.

      Only if the young person was prepubescent.

      I have no idea why you're accusing the one you're replying to of being a "sick bastard". Knee-jerk reaction much?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @06:53AM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @06:53AM (#649371)

        Only if the young person was prepubescent.

        I have no idea why you're accusing the one you're replying to of being a "sick bastard". Knee-jerk reaction much?

        You're absolutely right. If a girl has reached puberty [medicinenet.com], she's ripe for fucking! You know it brother. And we know when that is too. From the article I linked:

        The onset of puberty varies among individuals. Puberty usually occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14, while in boys it generally occurs later, between the ages of 12 and 16. In some African-American girls, puberty begins earlier, at about age 9, meaning that puberty occurs from ages 9 to 14.

        Ooh yeah! I want me some of that 10 year old white meat! And even better, some of that 9 year old dark meat!

        Let's get this done! Age of consent should equal age of puberty. I want my 40+ year old cock in some tight little 9 year old pussy! Heck, all three holes should be used regularly, amirite?

        That other guy is a sick bastard, not OP. Nine year-olds are clearly ready for pole.

        Where's MikeeUSA when you need him?

        • (Score: 2, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:08AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:08AM (#649377)

          Muhammed married a 6-year-old girl. Since he was the perfect man, you are encouraged to do likewise.

          It is in fact common in Yemen.

          • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:56PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @02:56PM (#649500)

            This is historical fact, although some claim the girl was 7 years old (she is described as still playing with dolls when the marriage occurred).
            Some people, up to a billion perhaps, see this person as being the epitome of humankind.
            This practice occurs today in Yemen frequently. There are pictures of men with their young girl child wife standing next to them. Girls still die by childbirth due to their age and lack of development. Girls are dying from penile penetration.

            How is this a troll?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:33PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:33PM (#649647)

          You're absolutely right. If a girl has reached puberty, she's ripe for fucking!

          Maybe you should look into the context of what you're replying to instead of knee-jerking. A pedophile is someone who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children. That is a fact. I said nothing about people being ripe for fucking as soon as they hit puberty; that is an entirely different matter from medical definitions.

          • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:52PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @07:52PM (#649657)

            Maybe you should look into the context of what you're replying to instead of knee-jerking. A pedophile is someone who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children. That is a fact. I said nothing about people being ripe for fucking as soon as they hit puberty; that is an entirely different matter from medical definitions.

            What conclusion should be drawn from your original statement other than any wet hole that's hit puberty is ripe for cock?

            Which is the truth anyway. Besides, they're not really people. Just holes for a man's pleasure and a vessel to birth his children. They have no other use.*

            You're a hypocritical piece of shit who doesn't have the balls to take what's yours.

            *Somebody needs to pick up the slack for MikeeeUSA.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:03AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @09:03AM (#649405)

    Because fixed years are easily defined. I just hope
    they have something in place so that 15 year olds don't
    get punished for being with a 14 year old. In other words, if
    one party is below the age of consent there ought to be some
    leeway if they're close-in-age. Young people shouldn't have their
    lives ruined over something like that.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday March 08 2018, @12:27PM

      by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Thursday March 08 2018, @12:27PM (#649462) Homepage Journal

      Common sense is really too much to ask of lawmakers and judges.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 09 2018, @03:15PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 09 2018, @03:15PM (#650001)

      Right, only old people should have their lives ruined by government overreach.

  • (Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday March 08 2018, @11:41AM (3 children)

    by driverless (4770) on Thursday March 08 2018, @11:41AM (#649443)

    Wouldn't a far better measure for younger people be the age difference? If you look at the cases that triggered this, it was a 30 year old guy and an 11 year old girl (ugh), but what if it's a 15 year old guy and a 14 year old girl? A number of countries take this into account, unfortunately the BBC story only reports absolute ages and not age differences. If you're using an absolute you may as well choose a height of consent or a weight of consent for all the accuracy you'll get, it's just an arbitrary line in the sand. On the day of your birthday, because some law says so, one minute before you're completely unaware that sex even exists, then a minute later you're completely sexually mature.

    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:42PM (2 children)

      by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday March 08 2018, @04:42PM (#649542)

      I mean, it's a lot easier to verify somebody's age than their height or weight on the street: just check their ID (doesn't the government basically require everybody to have *some* form these days?). Comparing ages on your IDs would work.

      But from an idealistic standpoint, yeah I kinda agree with you. A set age is a pragmatic solution because how do you really measure mental maturity, which is the main thing we're worried about, right?

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:20PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08 2018, @05:20PM (#649563)

        I mean, it's a lot easier to verify somebody's age than their height or weight on the street: just check their ID (doesn't the government basically require everybody to have *some* form these days?).

        Yeesh! Gives a whole new meaning to "Papieren, bitte".

        • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday March 08 2018, @08:09PM

          by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday March 08 2018, @08:09PM (#649679)

          I'm not in favor of it but if it's already a thing you might as well use it.

          --
          "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"