Sex and the law
The legal age of consent is 16. If you are under 16-years-old and you choose to have sex with someone who is over 16-years-old, then they can be charged with the crime of 'statutory rape' – even if you both give consent. The law applies to both men, women, lesbians, gays, bisexuals or straights.
If the girl is under 13, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment – because in the eyes of the law a girl 12 or under does not understand the consequences of having sex.
A man who has sex with a girl aged 13 to 15-years-old can be given a prison sentence of up to two years. If the man is 24 or over he will automatically be found guilty. If he is under 24 and has never been charged with the same offence and he can show that he genuinely believed the girl was 16 or over he may be found not guilty.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re gay or straight or what age you are, it’s illegal to have sex without both people giving their full consent. So, if someone’s over 16, they still have to give their consent and if someone says no, it means no.
It is illegal for someone over 18 to have sex with a person under this age, if the person over 18 has a position of trust. For example, they are the younger person's teacher, social worker or foster parent.
It is not illegal to ask for advice and help about sex if you are under 16. This can be advice about sexuality, contraception or just how sex works. It's not illegal to be given contraception by a doctor or family planning clinic, but they must be sure that you understand the issues surrounding sex and contraception.
Sex in public is illegal. Whether it’s in an enclosed space like a toilet or open space like parks, if it’s a public place where passers-by may be offended, then it’s illegal.