Discuss This!?

Question

The opinion below is NOT my own. It is repeated from a news broadcast. Please do not abuse me for asking the question, just discuss it.

Recently a senior UK Police Chief said that men who have sex with girls aged between 13 and 15 years should not be branded peadophiles as this age group is a "grey area" of female emotional and physical maturity.

Discuss.

Answer 1

Sometimes they say they are older than they are and it is an area where sometimes you can't tell. You go with what they say. Are you supposed to ask for ID before sex now?

Answer 2

No surprise that not every female wakes up on their 18th birthday and suddenly discovers they have attained maturity but this variability is the preserve of researchers not the basis for law. If you give any legal status to this "grey area" then the point at which someone is no longer considered 'underage' would have to be argued on a case by case basis (some may be deemed not to have reached maturity into their twenties) and it sets a precedent to suggest that other age-related matters (driving, smoking, use of alcohol) should be determined in a similar vein, which puts even more money in the hands of lawyers, lessens the authority of parents who might otherwise look to the law for guidance on appropriate behaviour for their children and would most likely cause gridlock in the courts.
More worringly, if you give tacit approval to a 13-15 "grey area" then you are paving the way for considering the age of 12 as borderline

Answer 3

What I think he was trying to say is that "paedophile" is actually quite a technical psychological term which has become widely used in the media sometimes in a much less specific way, and that there is a psychological difference between people who are attracted to pre-pubescent children, and those who are attracted to girls who have reached reproductive capacity. In some cultures, of course, girls of this age are considered young women of marriageable age.

I don't think he was arguing that sex with 13-15 year olds was OK, or should be legalised... he was saying that "paedophile" is a term which should be reserved for offenders who abuse younger children and that it's not necessarily correct or even helpful to use it for other groups of offenders.

The law does already treat the categories differently, in that the penalties are harsher for intercourse with a child under 13 than they are for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-15 year old. However, the age of consent remains, and legally a girl under 16 cannot give consent to sexual intercourse.

Answer 4

Seriously though....it is interesting that so many females are of the same opinion that some young girls can be mature in this sense. In some countries it is legal to have sex with a girl from 13 provided the parents are aware and there is consent all round.
If one is to support the Theory of Evolution, where we are evolved from animals etc, then girls of this age are at the prime for conceiving, giving birth and mothering.
I am not supporting those who carry out child abuse, but I am glad there are people who can realise there is a Grey area.

Answer 5

Well in some cases it is very hard for men to know the age of girls who are 14 or 15 some look and act more like 20 25. That is a tricky subject though. Because once a man talks to such girls it should be easier to tell their age.

Answer 6

13 NO they are too young, a 15 year old is slightly more awkward though. They are capable of making their own decisions by then and very often have a high sexual libido that can induce them to lie about factors such as age in order to get their first experience. To make matters worse many 15 year olds can be easily mistaken for an 18YO. This makes things impossible for the male to make a completely accurate decision.

Answer 7

Hahaha, he wishes. Give me a break here, men don't know the girls may be under age?? That's why they picked them out in the first place. Will we be dropping the age of consent to 13? Then they can be tried as adults for crimes as well. Don't see that happening too soon. Flog the b*stards in public, see if they want to come back for seconds.

Answer 8

If rules are put in place it makes everything easier. You know that if a person is under age you should not have sex with them or pay the consequences.

Allowing ambiguity into the law is one of todays biggest problems it offers opportunity to those that seek to take a chance on the law

Answer 9

Isn't this more related to 16/ 17 year old boys having sex with their 14/15 year old girlfriends, where the age gap is not abnormal and both are consenting.

Answer 10

It really depends and varies from girl to girl and their upbringing, personal relationships and mental understanding.
13 to 15 indeed is a grey area, as it is when our teen hormones kick in, and as stated before from girl to girl our sexual tendencies will vary.
I personally have not been physically in that situation at that age but, I do know Friends who had sexual inclinations at that age, and certainly I was aware of the power of sexuality.
My parents were always very open about sex, so I was not really interested or curious in it, but then as I said it depends from girl to girl and multiple factors.

Answer 11

It is reasonable for any government to draw the line when it comes to consensual sex. Age 18 is and has been a good place to draw the line. Every society should have some mores.