General Discussion

BainsBane

(57,751 posts)

17. the earliest laws set 10 as the age of consent

Mon May 20, 2013, 10:28 PM

May 2013

Laws of 16 and 18 are recent, from the twentieth century. There was no distinction between laws regarding statutory rape and child molestation. With ten as an age of consent, a man could evade prosecution by marrying the girl, since laws specified unmarried girls. Yes, they were gender specific. They also protected children against rape. A girl over age ten could consent to sex under British common law even if unmarried.

Certainly that's where my mind went. I care about child rape. Everyone should.

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Anonymous on the case of lesbian girl charged with statutory rape. [View all] BainsBane May 2013 OP

I really wonder if the parents were stalking this woman. Initech May 2013 #1

the parents went to the police BainsBane May 2013 #2

Yeah. What I'm getting at is that something stinks in this story. Initech May 2013 #13

What they were *meant* for was to legally enforce virgin purity LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #3

FFS BainsBane May 2013 #4

WTF? LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #5

You said statutory rape laws were about enforcing virgin purity BainsBane May 2013 #6

It is true that these laws seem to be focused on the female davidn3600 May 2013 #7

I agree BainsBane May 2013 #8

1) you asked what they were for, I answered LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #10

the earliest laws set 10 as the age of consent BainsBane May 2013 #17

Of course they should LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #22

I disagree BainsBane May 2013 #23

Everyone has one or two of those experiences LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #25

Did you see the affidavit? BainsBane May 2013 #26

Juliet laws cover teens within a certain age range of each other LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #28

it's not always 3-4 years rebecca_herman May 2013 #30

I think it will be eventually LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #31

I disagree rebecca_herman May 2013 #32

I'm not going to snark. LadyHawkAZ May 2013 #44

Connecticut's law changed last year to allow a three year difference Throckmorton May 2013 #38

Well, darn rebecca_herman May 2013 #40

You mean 10? Sarcastically? BainsBane May 2013 #41

Post got stuck as a reply to wrong post rebecca_herman May 2013 #42

Oh, I see BainsBane May 2013 #43

"I answered". And that's where it all went sideways. n/t Egalitarian Thug May 2013 #46

No - you are thinking of age of consent laws. Ms. Toad May 2013 #9

Attacks against GLBT people is just one of the recent uses. backscatter712 May 2013 #65

The story has gotten somewhat distorted Ms. Toad May 2013 #11

There's a problem with that. Xithras May 2013 #14

Another piece of the story - Ms. Toad May 2013 #15

I appreciate your clarification BainsBane May 2013 #18

yes, that's correct rebecca_herman May 2013 #20

Actually - Ms. Toad May 2013 #27

did you look at the affidavit? rebecca_herman May 2013 #29

I was going by the parents' statement, Ms. Toad May 2013 #33

Does not presume coercion Spike89 May 2013 #64

There's only one way to answer that. Xithras May 2013 #12

I posted this to someone else BainsBane May 2013 #19

Actually that is not correct Ms. Toad May 2013 #37

Cite? Xithras May 2013 #53

Colorado and Utah are both 10 Ms. Toad May 2013 #54

Honestly no. Xithras May 2013 #55

I don't think you spend much time around high school students. Ms. Toad May 2013 #57

I have two teenagers. Xithras May 2013 #58

Affidavit was released rebecca_herman May 2013 #16

Oh dear BainsBane May 2013 #21

Indeed rebecca_herman May 2013 #24

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2013 #34

Outrageous LittleBlue May 2013 #35

Read through the responses BainsBane May 2013 #36

Even if it's an 18-year-old LittleBlue May 2013 #39

That's not the point people are making davidn3600 May 2013 #45

There are different points of view expressed here BainsBane May 2013 #48

Not in a high school dating situation. Ms. Toad May 2013 #49

I certainly don't think the law should be applied unfairly BainsBane May 2013 #50

I just don't see high school kids dating each other Ms. Toad May 2013 #51

It's hard for me to say BainsBane May 2013 #59

Which is precisely why I don't think it should be a crime Ms. Toad May 2013 #61

I see your point BainsBane May 2013 #62

How common are they? roughrider101 May 2013 #67

They were quite common in the high school I taught in for 11 years. n/t Ms. Toad May 2013 #68

I think you have at least two overgeneralisations and an implicit error there. Donald Ian Rankin May 2013 #69

Very true, and thank goodness for the good people in Anonymous. n/t AverageJoe90 May 2013 #47

I don't really have sympathy for the older girl shawn703 May 2013 #52

You realize that in 31 states, the age of consent is at age 16? davidn3600 May 2013 #56

The 18yo would be destroying his/her own life shawn703 May 2013 #60

"If this was an 18-year-old male and a 14-year-old girl... it would be prosecuted in the same way." KamaAina May 2013 #63

She was 14 at the time of the "crime" Spike89 May 2013 #66

Nope. the younger girl was 14 the entire time and the older cali May 2013 #70