Politics
Wednesday February 8, 2006
Conservative Government Will Raise Age of Sexual Consent
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Gudrun Schultz
OTTAWA, Ontario, February 8, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – One of the first acts of the new Conservative government will be to raise Canada’s age of sexual consent law from 14 years to 16 years. Justice Minister Vic Toews announced yesterday his intention to address the issue as soon as the House returns in April.
"One of the issues that I would like to see brought forward as quickly as possible is the age of protection, raising that from 14 to 16, and looking at, of course, bringing in a close-in-age exemption," Mr. Toews told reporters after the first caucus meeting of the new government.
Canada’s current age of consent law dates from 1892. Conservative members have worked to raise the legal consent age without success. In September 2005 a bill to raise the age of consent was defeated by 68 votes, coming from the NDP, the Bloc Quebecois and a majority of Liberals. It is expected to pass without difficulty this spring.
“If raising the age of consent is done as a stand-alone bill, it could be accomplished fairly quickly, “Mr. Toews said. "That's a priority of our government. That's an example of how I would like to proceed."
The need for change in the age of sexual consent law has taken on greater urgency with cases of adult predators luring young teens over the Internet. The new law will mean criminal charges for adults who have sex with girls or boys age 14 or 15. Under current Canadian law there is no way to prosecute adults unless they are in a position of authority or trust over the youth, in which case they can be charged with exploitation, of anyone under 18.
The law will contain a “close-in-age” exemption to avoid criminal charges against young teens who engage in consenting sexual activity with one another.
"We don't want to criminalize consenting sexual conduct between youth. We want to protect young people from adult sexual predators," said Mr. Toews.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Canadian Parliament Votes Against Raising Age of Consent for Sex from 14 to 16
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/sep/05092906.html
Canada a Sex Tourism Destination?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/mar/05031002.html
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud
- Abortion Activist Judge Hamilton Confirmed with Help of Ten Republican Senators
- CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants
- Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population
- CCHD in Archdiocese of Chicago Says it is Working to Fix Problems
- Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit
- Obama-Supporting Homosexual Activist to Out Sexually Involved Priests Unless they Support Gay 'Marriage
- Austrian Catholic Bishops Issue Bland Response to Govt's Homosexual Partnership Bill
- Interim Report on Catholic Sex-Abuse Says "Homosexual Identity" Not a Predictor of Sex Abuse
- LSN NewsBytes - US Health Care Reform
- LSN NewsBytes - Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
- LSN NewsBytes - Climate Change/Global Warming
- Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Shower Praise on Senate Bill's Phony Abortion Compromise
- 59 Bishops Contributed Financially to Maine Bishop's Effort to Oppose Maine Same-Sex "Marriage" Law
Most Read this Week
- Largest U.S. Homosexual Publisher Shuts Down, Closing Major Gay Newspapers
- Italian Mayors Order Crufixes Put in Classrooms in Revolt against European Court Ruling
- EWTN's Arroyo Hosts Reform CCHD Reps Who Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm
- Nat'l Organization for Marriage Responds to Miss California "Sex Tape" Scandal
- Obama Evades Questioning on Stupak Amendment in FOX Interview
- French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's Life
- EU Leaders to Choose President today in Secret "Soviet Style" Meetings
- Hoffman "Unconcedes" Battle for NY-23: Recount Provides Hope for "Miracle" Victory
- CCHD Responds to Reform Movement
- White House Advisor Indicates Obama Will Work to Abolish Pro-Life Health Amendment
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.