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This petition was submitted during the 2019 to 2024 Parliament

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Closed petition Make it illegal for people over 18 to have sexual relations with under 18s

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The age of consent should be kept at 16 but the Government should make it an offence for anyone over the age of 18 to have sexual relations with under 18s, as we believe 16 year olds are not mature enough to be able to consent to such activities with older people.

We believe that many 16 year olds lack the knowledge of adulthood, responsibilities and social understanding and as a result can be at risk of being groomed and convinced to do things they might not really want to do.

A 16 year old dating a 30 year old is completely legal in the eyes of the law, unless they are in a position of trust. Many children over the age of 16 are easy targets for older people, especially if they have mental health problems or disabilities.

56 signatures


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    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 19 April 2022.