Sex and the Law
Consent ages
England
- Heterosexual 17 years old
- Homosexual 17 years old
Ireland
- Heterosexual 17 years old
- Homosexual 17 years old
Scotland
- Heterosexual 17 years old
- Homosexual 17 years old
Wales
- Heterosexual 17 years old
- Homosexual 17 years old
Heterosexual consent ages around the world
- Spain 13 years old
- France 15 years old
- Holland 17 years old
- Croatia 14 years old
- Georgia, US 16 years old
- Turkey 18 years old
- Cyprus 17 years old
- Portugal 14 years old
- New York, US 17 years old
- Florida, US 18 years old
- The Caribbean:
- Jamaica 16 years old
- Bahamas 16 years old
- Trinidad 16 years old
- Barbados 16 years old
- St Kitts 14 years old
- India 16 years old
- Pakistan, must be married
Click here to check the ages of consent for other countries in the World, including Homosexual and Lesbian ages.
Sex Offenders register
The sex offenders register is run by the police and contains the details of around 30,000 people convicted, cautioned or released from prison for a sexual offence against children or adults since September 1997 when it was first set up.
All convicted sex offenders must register with the police. They must:
- inform the police if they change their name or address
- disclose if they are spending time away from their home
- register with their local police every year
- stick to strict license conditions or they can be sent back to jail.
Protecting vulnerable people
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 is there to protect the public from sexual crimes which can have a devastating effect on the lives of individuals and communities. The law covers offences against adults, against children and offences within families and protects people of all sexual orientations equally. It also protects people with mental disorders who might be vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation.
Frotting may be fun between consenting partners but the law protects us all from unwanted sexual contact. The Sexual Offences Act outlaws touching:
- with any part of the body
- with anything else
- through anything.
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