ACDP- ISSUES IN FOCUS - Age of sexual consent

ISSUES IN FOCUS - Age of sexual consent

Lowering the age of sexual consent

There is evidence of a worldwide effort to lower the age when a child can legally give consent for intercourse with an adult. This desire to gain access to children has resulted in many intense legislative struggles in Western Nations and South Africa is no exception.

The ACDP was the only party to sound the alarm, alerting the public to legislation to reduce the age of sexual consent and permit sexual experimentation. In terms of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill, children between the ages of 12 and 16 years are permitted to engage in sexual experimentation with partners also below the age of 16. The age of consent for homosexual relations has been lowered from 19 to 16 years, for both genders.

"Teenage years are fraught with emotional conflict as the transition from child to adult is made and our children need to be protected and guided, rather than encouraged to participate in homosexual and heterosexual sexual experimentation, with possible life-threatening consequences," says ACDP MP Steve Swart.

"Whilst not being oblivious to the fact that many children are sexually active, it is utterly outrageous that 12 to 16 year olds, most of whom will not have reached puberty, should legally be able to give their consent to older children who want to exploit them sexually.

"Although most homosexual activists publicly deny that they want access to boys, many homosexual groups around the world are working aggressively to lower the age of consent," Steve said.

"The ACDP believes that sexual relations should be celebrated within the institution of marriage. We are concerned about what girls and boys are being taught by culture at large. The media and loveLife campaigns in schools encourage sexual experimentation and with such legislation in place, parents will not easily be able to prevent the sexual exploitation of their children.

"This amendment must be seen against the background of the abortion legislation allowing abortions for girls over the age of 12 without parental consent as well as the proposed Child Bill which will allow contraceptives to be given to children over the age of 12, also without parental consent. This latter Bill will also criminalise parental corporal punishment.

"These laws are all seen as an attack on the family and erode parental responsibility," Steve said.

Besides concerns about children contracting HIV/Aids, the vulnerable immature reproductive system of adolescent girls is at risk of being prematurely damaged by prematurely engaging in sexual activity. According to reports, teenage promiscuity can increase a girl's vulnerability to cancer by as much as five times.

"We believe that the answer to the HIV/Aids epidemic lies in promoting abstinence and faithfulness to one's spouse. This was the successful approach adopted in Uganda," Steve says.

"Should this battle be lost in South Africa, the whole of Africa will be open to the possibility of such legislation.

(From Christian Democrat magazine Issue 1 2003)