UK: PM rejects call to lower age of consent to 15

[The Straight Story]

The prime minister has rejected a call from a leading expert on public health to lower the age of consent to 15.

Faculty of Public Health president Prof John Ashton said society had to accept that about a third of all boys and girls were having sex at 14 or 15.

He said the move would make it easier for 15-year-olds to get sexual health advice from the NHS.

Downing Street said the current age of 16 was in place to protect children and there were "no plans to change it".

..

Prof Ashton said lowering the age by a year could "draw a line in the sand" against sex at 14 or younger.
'Recognise the facts'

He said: "We need a debate here. It's time the adults started talking about the situation to take these enormous pressures off children and young people from becoming sexually active too early.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24976929

[alp227]

1. "a third of all boys and girls were having sex at 14 or 15."

So? Just because it happens doesn't make it morally RIGHT. Do you want a nation full of Kaitlyn Hunt types?

The Guardian also has an article, Parties reject call to lower age of consent

[arely staircase]

2. I thnk a reasonable approach would be like what many states now have

17-18 agebof consent but "romeo/julliet" exceptions so sex between younger people close to one another in age aren't prosecuted. But making it legal for an adult to have sex with a 14 year old sounds like bad policym