France eyes setting age for sexual consent; 13 suggested
PARIS — A bill being prepared by the French government could set a minimum legal age for sexual consent for the first time, and the country’s justice minister said Monday that she thinks 13 years old could be a reasonable age.
Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet told France’s RTL radio network that age 13 was a “limit that is worth considering” for the upcoming legislation, but noted that judges should also have the ability to assess whether someone was old enough to give consent in individual situations.
“The question of the age below which the minor’s consent is presumed not to exist is crucial, because there are obviously extremely shocking and unacceptable situations,” Belloubet said.
One of her colleagues in the French government has said that a minimum age for sexual consent has not been set for the bill. Marlene Schiappa, a junior minister for gender equality, said Sunday that the cutoff could be between the ages of 13 and 15.