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 Two recent court cases have heightened the debate over who is old enough to consent to sex under French law.
A jury last week acquitted a year-old man who was accused of raping an year-old girl in , French media reported.
The jury in the Paris suburb region of Seine-et-Marne found that while there had been a sexual relationship between the girl and the man, it did not constitute rape according to the legal definition of the crime in France. A minimum age of sexual consent does not currently exist in French law. In both of the recent cases, investigators reportedly found that the sexual relationships did not involve surprise, threat, coercion or violence.
Sexual abuse without coercion is an offense punishable of a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A rape conviction carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, or 20 years when the victim is under 15 years old.
Earlier Monday, French police said they have seen a rise in reports of sexual violence and harassment amid the growing global fallout from the accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. An official with the French national gendarme service said it had registered 30 percent more complaints this year so far than last year, notably in October.
