French girl, 11, 'not a child' say lawyers for man, 29, accused of sexual abuse

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Case rekindles debate about age of consent in France as family argue suspect should be charged with rape
Associated Press
Tue 13 Feb 2018 20.06 EST

A 29-year-old French man went on trial onTuesday in a Paris suburb accused of sexually abusing 11-year-old girl in a case that has rekindled debate about France’s age of consent.

France does not have a legal age under which a minor cannot agree to a sexual relationship — although the country’s top court has ruled that children aged five and under cannot consent. Lawyers for the suspect argued that the girl was consenting and aware of what she was doing, while lawyers for the girl have said she was simply too young and confused to resist.

In a decision that shocked many, the prosecutor’s office in the town of Pontoise decided to put the man on trial not for rape but on charges of “sexual abuse of a minor under 15”.

Defence lawyers say the man and the girl had met in a park and the girl had voluntarily followed him to an apartment and consented to intercourse. They’ve also said their client, then 28, thought she was at least 16.


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/14/french-girl-11-not-a-child-say-lawyers-for-man-29-accused-of-sexual-abuse

[RandySF]

1. Sounds like a Republican

[Jedi Guy]

2. Hold up.

So according to France's supreme court, a child of six can legally consent to sexual activity? What the actual fuck, France?

And while I know it's an attorney's job to defend his or her client to the best of their ability, arguing that an 11-year-old is "not a child" is beyond reprehensible.

[shenmue]

3. REALLY IGNORANT

That's it. I'm never going to France.

Fucking assholes are so horny, they think it's okay to rape a child.

[Leghorn21]

4. Holy shit, France. This needs fixing toot fuckin sweet

“France does not have a legal age under which a minor cannot agree to a sexual relationship — although the country’s top court has ruled that children aged five and under cannot consent.”

NON NON NON

mais fuckin NON

[uppityperson]

10. I agree, and it looks like they are

President Emmanuel Macron’s government has proposed a bill to introduce a minimum legal age for sexual consent. It would include a provision saying that intercourse with children under a certain age is by definition coercive.

The proposed minimum age hasn’t yet been decided on, but the cutoff could be between 13 and 15. The bill, a broad-based measure aimed at fighting “sexual and sexist violence”, is expected to be presented to the cabinet next month.

[UpInArms]

5. 11 is a child

anyone who thinks differently should be wearing a monitoring ankle bracelet

[demigoddess]

6. when I lived in France in the 50s the people there did not like drunks.

I remember a time when a drunk wandered into the neighborhood. One guy went over to him and told him to go away, stay away from children. I cannot imagine that they have a law that allows this.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Republicans called 22 yr old Monica a 'child'.

[Lucky Luciano]

8. Not unreasonable and very consistent with their behavior to say that.

After all, the acting President is a 71 year old child.

[iluvtennis]

9. France needs an age of consent law...11 years old is a child, don't care if they do look 16.

[KWR65]

11. If it pleases the court this 11 yr old woman is really going on 18

Disgusting creeps.

[keithbvadu2]

12. Conservative Milo Yiannopoulos defends pedophilia and pedophiles. Disgusting POS.

Conservative Milo Yiannopoulos defends pedophilia and pedophiles.

Disgusting POS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=44&v=oJhHwspZGcg

Some conservatives are not hung up on that age of consent thing.

(Sarcasm thingie goes here)

[IronLionZion]

13. Roy Moore is looking for flights to France

to teach those liberals a lesson in family values conservatism.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. One wants to have the daughter of any of these attorneys

raped, and then told that if she's over 6 she's old enough to consent.

Except that I wouldn't wish that on a child. But they should think about it very carefully. Besides, a 28 year old man has no business having sex with a 16 year old.

[Angry Dragon]

15. very sad and sick

[TNNurse]

16. Certainly not as significant as this story, BUT

Here in East TN several years ago... I got a call from a nurse on one of the medical floors in our hospital. She said one of her patients wanted meal trays delivered for her daughter who was staying in her room with her. Yes, there are those who treat hospitals like hotels. And yes we often provided meals for family members who really need to be there. I asked about the situation. Turns out the daughter was 12. I told the nurse to tell the patient (knowing I was going to get involved directly) to tell the patient that her daughter could not stay without another adult to be responsible for her. Of course, the nurse called back and asked me to come to the room.

I explained to the patient that since she was ill and receiving medications that her daughter needed someone to be there to be responsible since the hospital could not supervise her. This woman looked me in the face and said her 12 yo daughter was an adult. I assured her calmly that no one in the US considers a 12 yo to be an adult. What if she went to the food machines or gift shop and was abducted, we were not going to be responsible for her safety. I suggested she find someone to come stay with them or to take the girl home.

I left the room and told the nurse that if the patient had not found someone within an hour, I would call Child Services and say the girl was being neglected and that the patient was not to be given any pain meds until then. The nurse was horrified. She said "you would call Child Services on her?". I assured her I would but had faced this situation before and no matter how many stories I had been told, I have never called Child Services, the threat always worked. I was terrified I might have to one day, but in 15 years in that job, I never did. The nurses would be frustrated with me. I am not a parent, I did not understand. I would respond that in addition to all her other responsibilities was she going to take care of that girl and tell the next shift she had volunteered them to do the same in their busy job?

You might need to know that there had been times when a child much younger than this one was left with a patient, some crawling on the floor or lying in bed with a sedated patient. Sorry to go on, but people are crazy.

[raging moderate]

17. DU Rec.

France, make the age of consent over 15, PLEASE!

[inwiththenew]

18. "although the countrys top court has ruled that children aged five and under cannot consent."

Last edited Wed Feb 14, 2018, 11:28 AM - Edit history (1)

Well I'm glad that they cleared up that confusing issue.