"Sex with 13 to 16-year-olds is a 'grey area'" - Welsh Police Chief

[RDN]

Sex with 13 to 16-year-olds 'grey area'

A chief constable has said men who had sex with girls of 13 or over should not be classed as paedophiles.

Terry Grange, chief constable of Dyfed-Powys Police and the spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers on child protection and managing sex offenders, said he believed paedophiles should be classed as men who had sex with pre-pubescents.

The UK law states the age of consent is 16 and anyone who has sex with a younger child has committed an offence.
advertisement

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Grange said men who had sex with children should not be classed as paedophiles if their victim was between 13 and 15.

Mr Grange also told the newspaper that the law on child pornography should apply accordingly.

He added: "It's much more of an issue for me if a child is under 13.

"I think the closer they get to 16, the more it becomes a grey area and I think everyone in the field of dealing with sexual health and sexual activity acknowledges that."

Official government guidance on prosecuting suggests that teenagers who have sex when one is below 16 should not necessary be prosecuted.

Mr Grange said: "You take a look at the circumstances and try to make the right decision for that case.

"It may be nothing, it may be formal warnings, it may be prosecution."

In an interview with BBC News today, Mr Grange sought to clarify his views.

He said: "I was very specific about what I said to the reporter. I was referring to 13, 14 and 15-year-olds (girls) and teenage boys and nothing else."

He added: "If you prosecute each and every time a boy has sex with a girl under 16 and above 12, then we'd be in schools across Britain and youth clubs across Britain pretty regularly because, since I've alive, it's been pretty normal.

"The 16 age thing is an artificial barrier that we have in Britain."

Mr Grange said he would endorse the prosecution of any man over the age of 20 who has sex with a girl aged between 13 and 15.

"If the fella concerned....is his 20s, 30s or 40s then I believe you should prosecute them ruthlessly and the law allows for that."

Roger Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, said he thought Mr Grange's comments were "unhelpful."

"The law is quite clear that having sex with somebody under 16 is an offence," said Mr Williams.

Telegraph News

But, but... what about the sheep?

[Little Chuchok]

What about CMn?

[Skulldigger]

What he says makes sense. I'd say about 15-20% of the people I was aware of at school had bumped uglies before turning 16.

[meepho]

"The 16 age thing is an artificial barrier that we have in Britain."

Mr Grange said he would endorse the prosecution of any man over the age of 20 who has sex with a girl aged between 13 and 15.

"If the fella concerned....is his 20s, 30s or 40s then I believe you should prosecute them ruthlessly and the law allows for that."

Roger Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, said he thought Mr Grange's comments were "unhelpful."

"The law is quite clear that having sex with somebody under 16 is an offence," said Mr Williams.



here we have at last a copper with common sense and a liberal well just being liberal.

the irony of this is it is the liberals that over protect the criminals

[Fingers_in_pies]

This copper sounds like he's hiding a dirty little secret.

[Begbie]

He's just saying what is common practice, they don't jail schoolboys for having sex with scholgirls.

[mad_dog]

I am a statutory rapist as I had sex with my 14 year old girlfriend when I was 14.

[Begbie]

I am a statutory rapist.

Where do they have the holes on these statues ?

[Lily]

But they don't prosecute teenaged boys do they?

And if not, why did he say it? What is the point?

[risktohimself]

But they don't prosecute teenaged boys do they?

And if not, why did he say it? What is the point?

Isn't the point to do with the idea that a girl cannot be slipped a length at 11.58pm at age 15 years 11 months 30 days etc, but it'll be OK a couple of minutes later?

[William]

do you honestly believe that a 13-year old girl understands the full long term ramifications of having a sexual relationship at such a young age?

IOWs, is a 13-year old mature enough to understand what she is doing?

If not, the law needs to protect her - grey area or not.

Just my 2cs worth

[mad_dog]

I think in America they have somekind of law that takes into account the age gap between sexual partners when one is willing but aged under 18 (in the US innit). It was a key issue with that Congressman who was buggering the teenage Congressional Pages... I think...

[mad_dog]

do you honestly believe that a 13-year old girl understands the full long term ramifications of having a sexual relationship at such a young age?

IOWs, is a 13-year old mature enough to understand what she is doing?

If not, the law needs to protect her - grey area or not.

Just my 2cs worth

I think the officer is just stating what the common, common sense practice already is: if the older of the two is a teenager nothing much is done beyond perhaps a quiet word in the ear unless the parents strongly object; if you are sixty and you lured the girl with sweeties expect a few years on the beast's wing.

[mrsquirrel]

Search on UK nova for program about baby mothers or young mothers.

It is fucking scary shit.

One couple who had a downs child decided to have another child who had some other problem so they had another child who was ok.

They weren't even 18 by that point

Another girl concieved when she was 12.

Fucked up.

[mad_dog]

Search on UK nova for program about baby mothers or young mothers.

It is fucking scary shit.

One couple who had a downs child decided to have another child who had some other problem so they had another child who was ok.

They weren't even 18 by that point

Another girl concieved when she was 12.

Fucked up.

There was this story about some Scotish dole mole who was "proud" of her daughter getting pregnant at 12... Not to get Daily Mail on you but it is scum like this that is making the UK unihabitable.

[risktohimself]

There was this story about some Scotish dole mole who was "proud" of her daughter getting pregnant at 12...

She was probably proud of the fact that her daughter, although pregnant at 12, isn't yet strung out on crack.






Yet.

[stroller]

...aged under 18 (in the US innit)

15 -16, depending on which State you're in.

[William]

my sister, who knows far more than I do on this subject, informs me that some teenage girls in the UK get pregant so they can get ahead on the housing list...

..if that's true, it's fucking sad!

[ChiangMai noon]

never bought that one william.
it's something the sun newspaper says.

[stroller]

Is this anothrer "ultra-liberal" news source, as someone said about the media?

[William]

have to say though, if sex is happening at such a young age, they should put condom machines in the toilets...

[stroller]

You may get condoms for free from your family practitioner, as far as I know (16+).

[ChiangMai noon]

they are also in toilets in pubs that sexually inclined 16 year olds go to very often.

[Skulldigger]

have to say though, if sex is happening at such a young age, they should put condom machines in the toilets...

I seem to recall New Zealand being one of the worst for teenage pregnancies?

Either way, I agree most 13-year-old girls are not mature enough to fully grasp the consequences of sex, but regardless of the law, some of them will still have it with boys their age, or two-three years their senior, who are also not fully developed mentally or in terms of experience.

If you take enough steps to educate them about safe sex, and campaign for using protection it may not be the end of the world, either.

[stroller]

^
^
Do you know of anyone who got a condom there?
Your coins will just disappear in the machine, the UK is 3rd world in this respect, and anyway, too expensive, even if there was a chance of the machine spitting out what you paid for...

Fekking dumbnuts UK 3rd world country and all.