#AceNewsReport – Apr.17: 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:

France toughens child sex laws but adds ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause for consensual relationships: ‘While the age of consent was previously 15, prosecutors in the country had to prove sex was non-consensual to obtain a rape conviction’

Posted 7h ago

“This is an historic law for our children and our society,” Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told the National Assembly.

“No adult aggressor will be able to claim the consent of a minor younger than 15 years old.”

Some politicians voiced concern that people could be convicted of rape for having consensual sex with someone now classified as a minor, despite being only marginally older.

As a consequence, a “Romeo and Juliet” clause allows for consensual sexual relations between a minor and an individual up to five years older. The clause will not apply in cases of sexual assault.

The legislation also considers incestuous sex with someone under 18 to be rape.

Sexual abuse against women and children went undetected in France for years, including in the upper echelons of power and within celebrity circles.

France toughened its sex crime laws in 2018 when it outlawed sexual harassment on the streets, leaving cat-callers and aggressively lecherous individuals facing potential on-the-spot fines.

Reuters/ABC

#AceNewsDesk report …………Published: Apr.17: 2021:

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