Maddock
11-07-2003, 20:35
New bill will make teenage kisses illegal
John Carvel, social affairs editor
Friday July 11, 2003
The Guardian
A bill due before parliament next week will make it a criminal offence for two 15-year-olds to kiss in public, the Home Office said last night.
But officials said those below the age of consent were unlikely to be prosecuted if both were enjoying the embrace.
The revelation came after the Family Planning Association warned that the sexual offences bill, due for second reading in the Commons on Tuesday, threatened the young people it was supposed to protect.
Anne Weyman, the association's chief executive, said the bill would criminalise all consenting sexual activity among those under 16.
"This behaviour could include common petting activities such as kissing and touching, through to full sexual intercourse," she said.
"This kind of sexual exploration is completely normal and an important part of adolescent development. If the bill is passed without any amendments, such activity could carry a prison sentence of up to five years."
She said criminalising sexual activity would mean young people would be left without support, putting them at risk of unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections.
"The criminal law has a very poor record for influencing consenting sexual behaviour," she said. "The bill devalues true abuse from desired sexual activity by failing to distinguish the two."
The Home Office accepted Ms Weyman's interpretation of the bill, but said there was no plan to change it.
Meanwhile the latest attempt to revive the symbolic controversy over "section 28" restrictions on gay sex education failed in the House of Lords last night when the Tory peeress Lady Blatch failed to carry what her critics called a wrecking amendment to the local government bill.
Peers voted by 180 to 130 to reject an attempt by Lady Blatch to prevent repeal of the hated section until every school giving sex education had balloted parents.
"Mine is a simple mission to protect children from the worst form of sex education," Lady Blatch told peers after inheriting the pro-section 28 campaign from Lady Young who died last year.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, the mainstream gay lobby, said: "This vote was a triumph for 21st century tolerance over 19th century prejudice. A noisy minority of politicians has defended this indefensible totem for far too long.
"We regret that organisations such as the Christian Institute found it necessary to resort to distortion and scaremongering in their attempts to frustrate this long overdue change in the law."
If that gets passed.. this nation is officially crazy :confused:
John Carvel, social affairs editor
Friday July 11, 2003
The Guardian
A bill due before parliament next week will make it a criminal offence for two 15-year-olds to kiss in public, the Home Office said last night.
But officials said those below the age of consent were unlikely to be prosecuted if both were enjoying the embrace.
The revelation came after the Family Planning Association warned that the sexual offences bill, due for second reading in the Commons on Tuesday, threatened the young people it was supposed to protect.
Anne Weyman, the association's chief executive, said the bill would criminalise all consenting sexual activity among those under 16.
"This behaviour could include common petting activities such as kissing and touching, through to full sexual intercourse," she said.
"This kind of sexual exploration is completely normal and an important part of adolescent development. If the bill is passed without any amendments, such activity could carry a prison sentence of up to five years."
She said criminalising sexual activity would mean young people would be left without support, putting them at risk of unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections.
"The criminal law has a very poor record for influencing consenting sexual behaviour," she said. "The bill devalues true abuse from desired sexual activity by failing to distinguish the two."
The Home Office accepted Ms Weyman's interpretation of the bill, but said there was no plan to change it.
Meanwhile the latest attempt to revive the symbolic controversy over "section 28" restrictions on gay sex education failed in the House of Lords last night when the Tory peeress Lady Blatch failed to carry what her critics called a wrecking amendment to the local government bill.
Peers voted by 180 to 130 to reject an attempt by Lady Blatch to prevent repeal of the hated section until every school giving sex education had balloted parents.
"Mine is a simple mission to protect children from the worst form of sex education," Lady Blatch told peers after inheriting the pro-section 28 campaign from Lady Young who died last year.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, the mainstream gay lobby, said: "This vote was a triumph for 21st century tolerance over 19th century prejudice. A noisy minority of politicians has defended this indefensible totem for far too long.
"We regret that organisations such as the Christian Institute found it necessary to resort to distortion and scaremongering in their attempts to frustrate this long overdue change in the law."
If that gets passed.. this nation is officially crazy :confused: