Close-in-age exemptions
Revision as of 14:07, 21 November 2023 by Robert Brockway (talk | contribs)
Close-in-age exemptions are exemptions from laws pertaining to age of consent. Many jurisdictions have close-in-age exemptions in which sex is not illegal between people of similar age even if it otherwise would be. In some countries, notably the United States, these are called Romeo and Juliette laws.
Typically the permissible age different is between two and four years. Consider a jurisdiction with a four year close-in-age exemption and an age of consent of 16. In such a jurisdiction a 19 year old having sex with a 15 year old would not be prosecuted.
These laws protect children from predatory adults while still allowing for sexual relationships between people of a similar age.