Belgium
Under the age of 14, children cannot give their legal consent to sexual penetration (Criminal Code art. 375); under the age of 16, however, children cannot give their legal consent to sexual acts (Criminal Code art. 371).
Which regulations are there concerning sexual relations with children/teens?
Bulgaria
A sexual activity with a person, who is not yet 18 years old and was not voluntarily involved, can be punished with prison.
Sexual activity with a person, who has not reached 14 years of age irrespective of the child sex and his/her voluntary participation are punished with imprisonment.
Who commits and act in order to arouse or satisfy a sexual desire without a copulation regarding a person who has not accomplished 14 years of age shall be punished for fornication by imprisonment of up to six years.
Who copulates with a person who has not accomplished 14 years of age, inasmuch as the act does not constitute a crime according to art. 152, shall be punished by imprisonment of two to five years.
Denmark
The law seeks to protect children and teenagers from sexual abuse by an older person. The law protects children and young people against seduction by an older person.
Sexual intercourse with a child or adolescent under 15 is punishable with a prison sentence of up to 6 years. If the child is younger than 12 years, the penalty can be up to 10 years.
Germany
Sexual contact with persons under the age of 14 are considered as child sexual abuse and punished. Depending on conditions, the age limit is higher.
Estonia
Adults are prohibited to engage in sexual intercourse or other acts of sexual nature with children/teens under 16 years of age, unless the young person is at least 14 years old and the partners’ age difference is not more than five years. Buying sex from minors (under 18 years of age) is also prohibited.
In addition, an adult cannot have a sexual relationship with a young person under the age of 18 if the adult is taking advantage of the young person’s dependency on the adult or abuses their influence or trust. This is the case for example if the adult party in the relationship is a family member or other person in a relationship of trust, such as a teacher or a coach.
Penal Code, §§ 143, 145
Finland
It is considered criminal to have sexual relations with a person under 16 years.
Penal Code, Chapter 20 Section 6Sexual abuse of a child (563/1998):
1. A person who
- (1) has sexual intercourse with a child younger than sixteen years of age,
- (2) by touching or otherwise performs a sexual act to a child younger than sixteen years of age, said act being conducive to impairing his/her development,
- (3) or gets him/her to perform an act referred to in subparagraph (2), shall be sentenced for sexual abuse of a child to imprisonment for at most four years.
2. However, an act referred to in paragraph (1) is not deemed sexual abuse of a child if there is no great difference in the ages or the mental and physical maturity of the persons involved.
3. A person shall also be sentenced for sexual abuse of a child if he/she commits an act referred to in paragraph (1) with a person over sixteen but younger than eighteen years of age, if the offender is the parent of the child or, if living in the same household with the child, the offender is in a position comparable to that of a parent.
4. An attempt is punishable.
France
The age of consent for sexual relations with an adult is 15.
The Penal Code will not prohibit sexual relations between minors if they are under 15 years of age and agree to have sexual relations with each other.
According to art. 227-25 Penal Code, sexual relations between a person of full age and a minor under 15 years of age is prohibited. Even if the minor agree to have sex with an adult, it is still against the law for that person to have sex with a minor under 15 years of age.
The consensual relationship between a person full of age and a minor over 15 years will prohibit if the person full of age is a person of authority (art. 227-27 Penal Code).
United Kingdom
The age of consent for sexual relations (heterosexuals and homosexuals) is 16 in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland it is 17.
Greece
The nineteenth chapter of the Penal Code refers to the crime of sexual freedom and crimes on financial exploitation of sexual life, articles 336-353, including the minors (1492/1950 Act as it was amended and applies). Also, the 3625/2007 Act ratifies and puts in force, provided by the art. 28 para 1 of the Greek of Child concerning trafficking in children, child prostitution and pornography, which was adopted by the 54/263 Resolution (25 May 2000) of the U.N. General Assembly.
Ireland
The age of consent for sexual relations is 17. Everything else is child abuse and will be punished.
Italy
Sexual relations and contact between adults and minors under the age of 14 or 16 are prohibited. Sexual relations between minors are permitted, provided the difference in age between the two persons is less than 3 years and provided neither of the two is less than 13 years of age (see Article 609 quarter of the Criminal Code).
Croatia
Pursuant to the Criminal Code (Art. 158), a sexual intercourse or equivalent sexual act with a child under the age of 15 is a criminal offence (imprisonment from three to twelve years).
Whoever engages in sexual intercourse or an equivalent sexual act with a child over the age of fifteen with whose upbringing, education, custody, spiritual guidance or care he or she has been entrusted, shall be punished by imprisonment from one to eight years (Art. 159.)
The same punishment shall be inflicted on a relative by blood in direct line or by adoption, a step-father or step-mother.
Latvia
Criminal law provides: for a person who commits an act of sexual intercourse, or pederastic, lesbian or other unnatural sexual acts of gratification, with a person who has not attained the age of sixteen years and who is in financial or other dependence on the offender, or if such offense has been committed by a person who has attained the age of majority, the applicable sentence is deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding four years.
Lithuania
The Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania regulates the sexual relations with minors. In Lithuania, sexual relations are allowed from the age of 16, although there are more restriction when it comes to sexual relations between a minor (even of 16 years old), and an adult.
Luxembourg
Sexual contact with minors aged 16 and up is permitted provided the minor is consenting. Under the Criminal Code, attacks on modesty without use of force or threats against minors under the age of 16 are punishable with a prison sentence of 1-5 years. These penalties are increased to 5-10 years if the minor is younger than 11 years old. In cases where force or threats are used, prison sentences of 6 months through 5 years apply, or 5-10 years if the victim is younger than 14 years old (Articles 372 and 373 of the Criminal Code).
The penalty for rape is a prison sentence of 5-10 years. In the case of minors under the age of 14, it is assumed that they lack capacity to consent to sexual penetration. Such cases are always considered to be rape, and carry a prison sentence of 10-15 years (Article 375 of the Criminal Code).
Malta
Sexual contact with persons under the age of 18 is illegal and constitutes sexual contact with a minor. Various penalties apply depending on the age of the minor and the act which was committed.
Netherlands
The age of consent in the Netherlands for voluntary sexual relations is 16 years (Penal Law Code, art. 244 and 245).
Austria
For minors under the age of 14, sexual contact is prohibited, but cannot be punished due to lack of criminal responsibility.
If just one of the two minors is under the age of 14, the older one is liable to prosecution after a certain age difference:
- Sexual contact that does not result in sexual intercourse is not punishable if the age difference between the minors is no more than four years and the younger partner is already 12 years old.
- If sexual intercourse occurs, this remains unpunished if the age difference is not more than three years and the younger partner is already 13 years old.
If both minors are over the age of 14, all forms of sexual contact to which both agree are permitted. Voluntariness is also necessary in the above cases so that sexual contact remains unpunished.
Poland
Article 200 § 1 of the Criminal Code of 6 June 1997 (1997 Official Journal, No. 88, Item 553) states as follows: "Whoever subjects a minor under 15 years of age to sexual intercourse or makes him/her submit to another sexual act or to perform such an act shall be subject to the penalty of the deprivation of liberty for a term of between 1 and 10 years."
Portugal
It is prohibited for an adult to have, or attempt to have a sexual connection with a minor under 16 years of age. If the minor tolerated the sexual relation, the adult will not be punished, except:
1. Sexual contacts between adults and minors who are wards are not allowed.
2. Sexual contacts between adults and minors for payment or other considerations are not allowed. Minors may not participate in pornographic activities as well as in pornographic pictures or audio recordings. The use of minors in pornographic activities as well as in pornographic pictures or audio recordings will be punished. However, this will be punished.
Romania
There is still no information
Sweden
Any sexual relation with a child under 15 years of age is prohibited and punishable by law. It is regulated in the Criminal Code.
Slovakia
It is criminal to make intercourse with a person younger than fifteen years, or who the other person to sexual abuse.
Slovenia
According to Criminal Act it is prohibited to have sexual intercourse or any other sexual action with a person who is not 15 years old.
It is also prohibited to cooperate in prostitution of another person (which also includes minors) or to use force, threat or use infatuating to gain or stimulate a person to become a prostitute.
Spain
Children under 13 cannot have sex, and if the adult is with them is a crime. Children over 13 can have sex with other children and youth under age. They can also have sex with adults if they are with their consent and there is no violence or deceit. But in any case cannot participate in pornographic acts or engage in prostitution.
Czech Republic
A person who have sexual relations to a person under 15 years of age, commits an offence. Sexual abuse will also be punished (Penal Code, § 217 letter a).
A person who moves a person under the 18 years of age to have sexual intercourse before marriage or misuse the minors dependence, comits also an ofence. A person, who offers a person under 18 years of age money for sexual intercourse will be punished.
Moreover, a person may not produce, distribute, import, export or access pornographic works with children.Therefor the person will be punished (Penal Code, § 205 letter a and b).
Hungary
Sexual relations with children's under 14 years will be punished. You may have a sexual relation to a person who is 14 years old, if the person has those sexual relations of one's own free will. Using force (threat, duress) will be punished.
Cyprus
Regulations in:
The Prevention and Combating of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography Law of 2014 (L.91(I)/2014).
The Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of Children (Ratification) Law of 2014.
According to the provisions of L. 91(I)/2014, the age of sexual consent is 17 years.