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Bill to Raise Age of Consent for Sex from 14 to 16 Introduced, Gay Activists Opposed

By Gudrun Schultz

OTTAWA, Ontario, June 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Conservative Government introduced a bill today that would raise the age of sexual consent in Canada to age 16 from age 14, thereby following through on a pledge to address what many child advocates feel is a dangerous laxity in the law.

The bill will allow law-enforcement workers to better protect young teenagers from adult sexual predators, particularly on the Internet. The proposed legislation includes close-in-age exceptions to prevent the prosecution of teenagers who are in sexual relationships with each other. The age gap must be no more than five years, which would still allow a 15-year-old to have sex with an adult of 20, or a 14-year-old to have sex with someone who is 19.

Despite the efforts to ensure the bill won’t criminalize teenage sexual relationships, several national groups are opposing any change to the age of consent laws, including Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere and the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, formerly Planned Parenthood.

Together with the Canadian AIDS Society and Justice for Children and Youth, the groups have complained there is no need to introduce a new law, since the former Liberal government passed legislation making it illegal for an adult in a position of trust or authority to have sex with a young person under age 18.

The liberal legislation has virtually no impact on the problem of Internet luring of young people, however, and offers no protection to teenagers who have been influenced by an adult predator into engaging in a sexual relationship.

The groups have accused the government of trying to legislate morality, and say there is no good reason for changing the law, which dates back to 1892.

“I think so much depends on the circumstances and the level of maturity,” said Linda Capperauld, executive director of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (Planned Parenthood), speaking to CanWest.

The bill will not be studied until the House of Commons resumes sessions in the fall.

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Canadian Age of Consent Law Would Still Permit Sex Between 20 Yr. Old Male and 15 Yr. Old Female
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06060106.html

Conservative Government Will Raise Age of Sexual Consent
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06020803.html

Gay Activists Ask Canada to Lower Age of Consent for Anal Sex, National Post Agrees
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06021403.html

 

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