These under-age lesbians and gays, and their partners, are treated as criminals by the law. Consenting lesbian sex with a girl under 16 is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. The maximum sentence for consensual gay male sex with a boy under 16 is ten years for touching, kissing, sucking or wanking, and life imprisonment for anal sex. These penalties apply where one partner is under 16 and the other is over 16, and also where both partners are below the age of 16. This legal barbarism doesn't protect young people; it victimises them.

The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, which interviewed nearly 19,000 men and women in 1990-91, is the most comprehensive sex research ever conducted in Britain. It found that half of those questioned - which included both gay and straight - had their first sexual experience (not necessarily intercourse) before the age of 16, mostly after the age of 14.

Already, 20 European countries have ages of consent lower than l6. The minimum age is effectively l2 in the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Malta. It's 14 in Slovenia, Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia, Italy, San Marino, Albania and, in certain circumstances, Germany. All these laws apply equally to hetero and homo sex.

The introduction of these comparatively low ages of consent has not increased the sexual abuse of young people. They have adequate protection through the laws against rape and indecent assault.

the Netherlands, freer and franker attitudes towards teenage sex, together with a strong emphasis on the right of young people to control their own bodies, has led to greater sexual wisdom and responsibility. Although Dutch youths are legally allowed to have sex from the age of 12, on average they choose to have their first sexual experience at a slightly later age than their British counterparts.

Most significantly, the Dutch rate of pregnancies and abortions in girls under l6 is less than one-seventh of the rate in Britain. This suggests that empowering young people with legal rights and sexual information is the best way to protect them.

My new research shows that in England and Wales during l994 a total of 84 males aged lO-17 were arrested and cautioned for the predominantly consensual and gay offences of buggery, indecency between males, soliciting, and indecency with a person under l4 (ten of the 32 cautioned for the latter offence were themselves below the age of l4). For the same four offences, a further 38 males under the age of l8 were prosecuted, 39 convicted, and six given custodial sentences.*

For this reason, OutRage! is proposing an element of flexibility in the age of consent: "sex involving young people under l4 should not be prosecuted, providing both partners consent and there is no more than three years difference in their ages". A mutually agreed relationship between a l2 year old and a 15 year old, for example, would not result in legal action. Flexibility in the age of consent already exists, to varying degrees, in German, Swiss and Israeli law.

Originally posted by jfj123


Robertson's comments are both irrational and irresponsible. Unfortunately, this demented individual has a podium from which to speak and spew his hate speech. Although he has the legal right to say these things, the networks which run his show should seriously consider removing him.