large age differences in realtionships

Ask the user who started it! You think it should be in GC or something? j/w

certainly not here

ok I know a few people that are in relationships where one of the other people are alot older than the other person in one case the girl is 39 and the husband is 60 thats the same age as her father. but thats one of the older couples I know, I know a girl that is 16 and is sleeping with a 25 year old. I guess that one falls under the age of consent issue but what I'm getting at is... Do you think it is right for someone to be in a relationship where the other person is much older than that person. for example 16 and 25

People have the right to a privacy and its not other peoples business who is having sex with who, except for situation where it is extremely likely that one part is being taken advantage of ( Which is why its illegal for a 25 year old to sleep around with minors).

And 24 year olds can't take advantage?

I could be wrong, but I think he was actually referring to the age 25 from the post he was replying to. It's illegal for anyone to sleep with minors, even other minors (though as almost always with sex crimes, it's the male who is legally in the wrong).

I could be wrong, but I think he was actually referring to the age 25 from the post he was replying to. It's illegal for anyone to sleep with minors, even other minors (though as almost always with sex crimes, it's the male who is legally in the wrong).

Really? Even in the case of a 24 year old woman sleeping with a 15 year old boy? If so, WHEN are they going to change that legislation?! (Although I did think there was a woman got taken to court and I think convicted for sleeping with underage boys fairly recently..? )

This issue has to many exceptions and special cases to be answered generally. However I would say that as long as noone is being taken advantage off (Which is the reason there is the "age of consent " ), a persons privacy is noone elses business. Race, Sexuality, Age , Gender , preference for strawberries in front of chocolate or whatever... People have the right to a privacy and its not other peoples business who is having sex with who, except for situation where it is extremely likely that one part is being taken advantage of ( Which is why its illegal for a 25 year old to sleep around with minors).

I could be wrong, but I think he was actually referring to the age 25 from the post he was replying to. It's illegal for anyone to sleep with minors, even other minors (though as almost always with sex crimes, it's the male who is legally in the wrong).

I dont know about England, but over here I think it is not illegal unless you are a certain age apart (2 years or so). Thus it is illegal for a 19 year old to have sex with a 14 year old but a 15 and 16 year old are within the legal frame.

I believe he was implying the 'young man's defence' which is in an ancient Act of Parliament dating back to 1861. If you did not know that the girl was under the limit and you are 24, you're covered, if you're 25 or more, you're not, it's strict liability. In simple terms. So if a 24 year old knew she was under the age, there is no defence I believe.

I understand where you're coming from with the males too. This guy on TV complained about his daughter seeing this 'paedophile'. His daughter is 15, the guy is 19. Yet she is going along with it, not an innocent angel which the law may think she is.

Btw: Here in Norway , not knowing the person is a minor is not a defense. There was a case when an 18 year old got convicted when his girlsfriends parents passed charges against him (against the will of the girl). The Girl had lied to him and said she was 17 so he didnt know she was bellow 16, he still got convicted. That conviction was a disgrace to common sense if you ask me. In practice what the court has ruled is that people bellow 21 cannot have sex without asking their partner for documentary evidence that they are not minors.

I can see the logic in this but this can also have problems. When you say over here do you mean Norway, where you are currently residing, or Sweden, which is your home country?

Yes we agree here. You see over here you would have had a defence, even way back in 1861! It makes you wonder why you get these dubious cases, but they happen over here too.

May I ask how old is the law concerning the case you described? Sometimes out of date laws can be so old that they are totally inconvenient.

I think its the same in Norway and Sweden. I dont think there are that many problems. The only thing the law sais is that it is not automaticly rape if a 17 year old has sex with a 16 year old. Of course, you could still get convicted for taking advantage of someone if that can be proven, the only difference is it has to be proved. I think the law was designed to protect minors from being taken advantage of by older people. Thus if a 21 year old would sleep with a 14 year old, you dont have to prove that he was taking advantage of the kid because it is illegal merely because of the age difference.

Its a question about parental rights. I read in the newspaper how a 18 year old guy got convicted for rape after the parents of his 15 year old girlfriend passed charges against the wish of the girl. The girl had told him she was 17, so he didnt know, but still got convicted. In my view this is giving parents to much power to decide about their kids life.

If you do not include the clause that the law only applies when the age difference is greater than 2 years, it would in practice make it illegal for minors to have sex. Why exactly should it be illegal for two 16 year olds to have sex? Because their parents doesnt want them to? The only possible justification would be that they are to young to have children, but I think we are on very unsafe ground if we start telling people whether they are allowed to get pregnant or not.

Parents should not really have a say in this way with 16 year olds. In many countries you're at least starting adulthood. I also think that this 2-year gap is a bit arbitary (sp?). The idea of having sex at 18 etc was probably due to physical growth, development etc. So what if you had a girl who is both mentally ahead of her chronilogical age, and an early developer too? But fell within the clause with his guy by about a couple of months? You get grey areas I'm sure.

...my point is that the legislation should state clearly that the law is there in order to protect minors, and not in order to controll people's sex life.

The law should not work in favour of parents who simply fail to accept the fact that their kids are growing up and starts to explore their sexuality.

In cases of gray areas, such as those were the peopel in question are quite close in age, punishments should be milder if the age difference is the only reason a conviction is passed.

Is a 16y/o who has a sexual relationship with a 25y/o who has the mental age of a 12 y/o taking advantage?