For many years, Canada’s government has failed to protect our children from sexual predators. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is currently not a criminal offence for an adult to engage in sexual activity with a person aged 14 years or older if the young person consents to sexual activity as long as the adult is not in a position of trust or authority.
Canada has become a preferred destination for sexual predators to prey on our innocent children.
In 2002, Over 40,000 people sent a letter to Justice Minister Cauchon asking that the age of consent be raised to 18. The age was not raised.
In early November 2004 , HELENA GUERGIS, MP prepared a petition asking the Martin Liberals to raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 years of age. Still the age was not raised
It was in 1987, the Mulroney government reduced the age of consent for sex in the Criminal Code to age 14. Since that date the Liberal government has refused to amend this law and raise the age of consent to 18.
As we approached 2006, the government once again failed to protect our children.
On Sept 28, MP Rick Casson private member’s Bill C-313 and Nina Grewal private member’s motion to raise the age of consent for sex from 14 to 16 was brought before office and once again the bill was rejected.
I was disappointed to hear that a bill that would have raised the age of consent to 16 was defeated by a vote of 167-99.
During the 2006 election, the Conservative party campaign on Creation of a mandatory DNA databank for sex offenders; raising the age of consent from 14 to 16 years and tougher stance on child pornography.
This was reason that I voted conservative.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is following up on the Conservative Government’s promise to raise the age of sexual consent in Canada to 16.
However, there will be a five year exemption in place, which would still allow those as young as 14 to have sex with partners within five years of their age; meaning that a 20 year old would still be allowed to have sex with a 15 year old.
Canada’s current age of consent leaves teens vulnerable to sexual predators, so I do hope the bill will be passed.
My only dissapointment in this was the five year exemption. I would have liked to have seen a two year exemption.
I understand that they don’t want to criminalize consenting sexual conduct between youth, but a 14 year old girl can still easily be manipulated by a nineteen year old man.
The new propostal once again has run into opposition from the Liberals, but received some backing from the New Democrats.
I think Prime Minister Stephen Harper is on the right track and I for one strongly support raising the age of consent from 14 to 16.
A change of Goverments means a change for the better, I hope.
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4 responses so far ↓
Susan Abraham
// Jun 12, 2006 at 11:29 pm
No doubt, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed with you, with regards to the age of consent being raised. I still remember being 14. It’s too young. Not physically perhaps but mentally. It is a time when emotions conquer most things.
That’s the beautiful thing about the UK. They’re extremely strict with these laws. Well, another topic to my prayer list.
warmest regards, Rose
Rose
// Jun 14, 2006 at 1:17 am
I agree that mentally 14 is too young. I do hope that they amend the Criminal Code of Canada and raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 years to 16 years of age. The age of consent in the UK is currently 16, is it not?
Greg Thompson
// Jun 25, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Teens are more savvy about the world around them than ever before, why are we making laws further restricting their right to make their own choices? This isn’t about explotative relationships (which are already banned) but consensual ones. Responsibility for making proper choices should be up to parents to instill in their children, not something to delegate to law or other outlets which sadly seems to be the trend of modern parenting.
Even the Justice Department which introduced this bill agrees! According to their site at http://www.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/clp/faq.html : “Although there are many views on what is an appropriate age to begin to engage in sexual activity, the fact is that young persons do engage in sexual activity. The Canadian Youth, Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Study 2003 report by the Canadian Council of Ministers of Education reported that the average age of first sexual intercourse was 14.1 years for boys and 14.5 years for girls. Educating youth to make informed choices that are right for them is better addressed through parental guidance and sexual health education than by using the Criminal Code to criminalize youth for engaging in such activity.“
Rose
// Jun 25, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Greg Thomas, you must be a liberal? Have you even bothered to read my post? The new law would not criminalize sex between youth. It would protect our most valuable asset – our children. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is currently not a criminal offence for an adult to engage in sexual activity with a person aged 14 years or older if the young person consents to sexual activity as long as the adult is not in a position of trust or authority.
The resent news surrounding networks site like MySpace further shows us how easily our children can be groomed by a predator. Canada’s age of consent to sexual activity offers Canadian youth no protection from sexual exploitation. This has resulted in Canada becoming a preferred destination for sexual predators to prey on our innocent children.
Our past government was sending an open invitation for predators to focus on our children. Might I add now if a man sleeps with a 13 year old he is put away for rape, so what does the difference of one year make as far as maturity? I’ll tell you sir; there is not a damn difference.
This is not about making laws which would further restrict our children’s rights to make choices. But, can you honestly tell me that children should have the right to sleep with adults and adults should have the right to sleep with children? Children may engage in sexual activity, and the law does not wish to imprison those teens who do engage in sex between themselves.
The new law would be in place to protect our children from the growing number of men who are now targeting Canadian children for pornography and sex purposes. You may support that the age of sexual consent stay at 14, but a large number -including myself, is in favor of it being raised.
Rose DesRochers
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