France considers consent age law

A BILL being prepared by the French government could set a minimum legal age for sexual consent for the first time, and the country’s justice minister said Monday that she thought 13 years old could be reasonable.

Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet told France’s RTL radio network that 13 was a “limit that is worth considering” for the forthcoming legislation, but noted that judges should also have the ability to assess whether someone was old enough to give consent in individual situations.

One of her colleagues in the French government has said that a minimum age for sexual consent has not been set for the bill. Marlene Schiappa, a junior minister for gender equality, said Sunday that the cut-off could be between the ages of 13 and 15.