Closed petition: Make it illegal for 18+ adults to have sex with under 18s
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Keep the legal age of consent at 16, but make it illegal for adults aged 18 or over to have sexual activity with anyone under 18. This could protect minors from grooming and adult exploitation while still allowing legal relationships between peers aged 16–17.
We do not think that adults aged 18 or over should be allowed to have sex with anyone under 18. Although the age of consent is 16, 16–17-year-olds are still developing emotionally and mentally, and can be more vulnerable to grooming, coercion, and manipulation by adults. We believe this change could improve protection for teenagers, and align the law with existing safeguarding standards used in education and youth services.
435 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 14 February 2026.