Safeguard teenagers by raising age of consent

PERHAPS the best way to protect young teenagers from the harm caused by sexual exploitation, or statutory rape, would be to raise the age of consent.

It is much easier to tell the difference between a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old than between a 16-year-old and 15-year-old.

If the age of consent were 21 rather than 16, a jury would probably disbelieve a defendant who claimed he honestly thought a 15-year-old was of legal age. They would definitely disbelieve a defendant who claimed he thought a 13- year-old was 21.

Raising the age at which statutory rape laws no longer apply to 21 would send a clear message to sexual predators that they must prey on adults rather than teenagers. The Oireachtas committee’s proposal to remove the defence of genuine mistake would indeed offer protection to 15-year-olds, but if the statutory rape of a 15-year-old is so damaging that no defence of genuine mistake is allowable, how can it be safe to leave 16-year-olds with no protection against sexual exploitation?

Aisling O’Halloran

54 Sandford Road

Ranelagh

Dublin 6