The age of consent in Andorra is 14 years, as stipulated in article 147 of the Penal Code, which states: 1) «Anyone who performs a sexual act with a person under fourteen years of age. is punishable by imprisonment from three months to three years. Paragraph 2 stipulates that if the sexual act involves sexual penetration, the penalty shall be three to ten years. [5] The age of consent in Ukraine has been 16 since 2018. [137] [138] The age of consent varies by jurisdiction in Europe. The age of consent is currently between 14 and 18 years. The vast majority of countries set their age between 14 and 16 years; only three countries, Cyprus (17), Ireland (17) and Turkey (18), do not fit this pattern. Laws may also determine what specific activities are permitted or set the age at which either sex may legally participate. Below is a discussion of the various laws that deal with this issue. The highlighted age is the age at which a young person can legally engage in a non-commercial sexual act with an older person, regardless of age difference, provided that the older person is not in a position of power, is not related or commits any other form of exploitation (such as abuse of power or dependency). In some jurisdictions, including Italy and Hungary, there are exceptions where the age difference is within prescribed limits.
All jurisdictions in Europe, with the exception of Vatican City, have equal and gender-neutral age limits. The age of consent in Switzerland is 16 years, according to Article 187, paragraph 1, of the Federal Criminal Code. However, there is an exception of proximity to age if the age difference of the participants is three years or less (Article 187(2)). While most European countries set the age of consent at 16-17, several others, including Malta and Vatican City, require young people to be at least 18 before legally having sex. The lowest age of consent in Europe is 14, which applies in Austria, Italy, Serbia, Germany and Portugal. Article 103 regulates any type of sexual activity with minors under the age of 15 (or minors under the age of 18 who are unable to understand the legal significance and consequences of such acts) such as the sexual abuse of children. [135] The quest for consent revolves around expression, which is also the idea of communication. So we can see that the two are working together. The age of consent was set at 11 in 1832 and 13 in 1863. In 1942, the age of consent for homosexual acts was set at 21, while it was 13 for heterosexual acts. The latter was increased to 15 in 1945.
In 1974, the age of homosexual acts was lowered to 18. In 1982, it was lowered to 15, similar to that of heterosexual acts. The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000 came into force throughout the United Kingdom in January 2001, equalising the age of consent at 16 for heterosexual and homosexual acts (including lesbian acts for the first time), irrespective of gender, except those between a 16-17 year old and a person «in a position of trust» (e.g. a teacher). if the age of consent has been raised to 18. The general provision regarding the age of consent in Greece is 15 years, in accordance with Articles 339 and 337 and 348B of the Greek Criminal Code. In 2015, along with the legalization of same-sex civil partnerships, Article 347 was repealed, which provided for an additional ban on seducing a man under the age of 17 if the actor is an adult male, bringing the age of consent for homosexual acts into line. [41] According to articles 227-25 of the Penal Code, the age of consent in France is typically 15 and 18 if the sexual act is with a parent or person who has «legal or de facto authority» over the minor participant. Legal rape (or its local equivalent) is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of €75,000 (€83,226). The law was only passed in April 2018 following an outcry from two men accused of having sex with 11-year-old girls. The French government has decided to set the age at 13 or 15. The ten France territories have also set the age of consent at 15.
The France has a Romeo and Juliet clause that disclaims liability if a person under the age of 15 has sex with someone within five years of their age. Regarding the age of consent, this means that it is illegal to marry someone under the age of 20 without written parental permission.
