I'd like the learned members opinions on the following...

[d000hg]

The child is innocent. That is the law.

Why, specifically?

[mudskipper]

Why, specifically?

Because there is an age of consent. She hadn't reached it, ergo, she had not consented.

[eek]

Why, specifically?

Because she is a child, below the age of consent.

As she cannot consent she is innocent and prayed upon....

[Churchill]

The child is innocent. That is the law.

Why, specifically?

Because that is what the Law decrees and no Judge is ever going to go out on a limb and say "that the girl was partly responsible".

[EternalOptimist]

Because there is an age of consent. She hadn't reached it, ergo, she had not consented.

most are innocent. that's not the same as all
sad though that is

[EternalOptimist]

Because that is what the Law decrees and no Judge is ever going to go out on a limb and say "that the girl was partly responsible".

a lawyer did that recently. he was panned and has resigned

[EternalOptimist]

Lawyer who called 13-year-old victim of Romford paedophile

[d000hg]

Because that is what the Law decrees.

Yes, I'm asking what exactly the law says.

If a 14 year old burns down a house with a molotov cocktail, are they innocent because the person who sold them the petrol/alcohol was the one who broke the law?

Is it illegal to have sex with someone under 16, or illegal for someone under 16 to have sex, I think is what I'm getting at.

Isn't it illegal to encourage someone to commit a crime, as well?

[Gibbon]

Yes, I'm asking what exactly the law says.

If a 14 year old burns down a house with a molotov cocktail, are they innocent because the person who sold them the petrol/alcohol was the one who broke the law?

Is it illegal to have sex with someone under 16, or illegal for someone under 16 to have sex, I think is what I'm getting at.

Isn't it illegal to encourage someone to commit a crime, as well?

I think 10 is the age of criminal responsibility. The sexual consent law is there to protect children though, otherwise there would be more under 16's saying they consented to protect their 'loved one'. Like that teacher recently. Under 16's can't consent carte blanche and I'm in favour of that.

[mudskipper]

When I started secondary school, a friends sister used to sneak out to the layby next to the school and sleep with most of the truckers who stopped there

Unsurprisingly she got pregnant with no idea who the father was, it was only at that point that the parents realised things were getting out of control

And she had strict parents, if anything it was rebelling against them that was the underlying cause

How old was she? 15 I get the rebellious thing. At 13 most kids haven't even thought about sex.