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Sex and sexuality
Heterosexuals
It is unlawful for a man to have sexual
intercourse with a girl under the age of 16,
even when she gives her consent. It is
unlawful for a woman to have sexual
intercourse with a boy under the age of 16,
regardless of his having consented.
A girl or young woman cannot be prosecuted
for having unlawful sexual intercourse at
any age. However, if s/he has sex with a boy
or young man under the age of 16, s/he could
be prosecuted for indecent assault. If the
boy is under 14, s/he could be charged with
gross indecency. Prosecutions are, however,
rare.
A boy under ten is considered in law to be
incapable of having sexual intercourse. He
cannot, therefore, be charged with unlawful
sexual intercourse for having sex with a
girl under 16. He could, however, be charged
with indecent assault.
A boy or young man aged ten or over can be
prosecuted for having unlawful sexual
intercourse if the girl or young woman was
under 16. If s/he was aged 13 or over but
under 16, he may have a defence if he has no
previous convictions and he reasonably
thought s/he was over 16. If the young man
is aged over 17 and is convicted, he can be
fined, or sent to youth custody or a
detention centre. If he is aged 17 or over
but under 21 he may be detained in a young
offender institution for up to two years. |