Posted on 06/24/2008 9:37:21 AM PDT by PercivalWalks
Proof that statutory rape laws and prosecutions have gone too far--Paul Briggs apparently "feared he would be reported to police for under-age sex with Kyra Applin," so he hung himself. Their ages? 17 and 15. From the BBC's Teen father-to-be hanged himself:
A teenage boy hanged himself after his 15-year-old girlfriend became pregnant, an inquest has heard.Read the full article here. The star-crossed Romeo and Juliet are pictured above. It's OK that 35-year-old men have to worry that "15 will get you 20," but teenage boys dating girls a few years younger than them shouldn't have to worry about being prosecuted, as they sometimes are.Paul Briggs, 17, of Ferndale, Rhondda, feared he would be reported to police for under-age sex with Kyra Applin, the hearing in Miskin was told.
The couple told their families they wanted the pregnancy to go ahead but he hid his fears about being prosecuted, the inquest heard.
He died three months before the birth. A narrative verdict was recorded.
Det Sgt John Pope told the coroner's court: "The couple met and she was pregnant just a few weeks later.
"Kyra's parents were not happy about the situation but accepted it. Kyra's father said he had never seen Paul depressed.
"But a friend of the family said the situation was causing him some distress and he was afraid that if they parted he would be reported to the police for under-age sex"...
Kyra then left the inquest in tears midway through the hearing when told of Paul's fears.
She is raising six-week-old baby girl Mia - her name was chosen by Paul - with her parents at their home in Ferndale...
After the inquest Paul's mum Angela said: "The baby is absolutely lovely - she is the spitting image of Paul and I will forever have his memory when I see her."
Glenn Sacks, GlennSacks.com
[Note: If you or someone you love is faced with a divorce or needs help with child custody, child support, false accusations, Parental Alienation, or other family law or criminal law matters, ask Glenn for help by clicking here.]
He was more afraid of a fine than hanging? In Britain, you don’t go to jail for hardly anything.
Solves the whole problem...
*************
Necessities of life:
Shelter, Water, Food, Cothing...
Sexual behavior is not on the list... IT CAN WAIT!!!
Get a job -- make the promises -- stay faithful....
Enjoy years and years of all the warmth and companionship you wish...
*****************
JMHO... folks...
If a guy can't keep his penis in his pants during his formidable years, he needs to “man up” and be a father. Suicide is a way out only for idiots over such a matter.
This isn't an example of over-reaching laws. It's an example of an embarrassed guy who thought death was an easy way out of stigma and responsibility.
Really???? There was no prosecution in this case, just a fear of the possibility. Besides, in the US, most states allow underage sex if they are both within a few years of each other. This seems like a lame attempt to justify lowering the age of consent.
“In the US, if within 5 years, I don’t believe there’s any state that says that behavior is illegal anymore.”
I think these prosecutions do still happen at times. Within the past year, there was a fairly long thread here at FR on this very subject a case in the US where the ages were similar to this, 17 and 15. I recall that I stated a time or two that I thought the age difference should be at least three years before any statutory charges might be considered.
And, the girl’s father had also sought the boy out at school and attempted to assault him.
That’s bull, they had this kid in Georgia who was locked up for something like 10 years for having sex with a girl two years younger then him.
Ah, here is the full story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/27/teen.sex.case/index.html
They changed the law because of him but don’t say teens don’t have anything to worry about.
I never said they had nothing to worry about. I just pointed out that this case there was no prosecution as the headline indicated, just a fear of the possibility. I really have no idea what the law is in England and how aggressively it is prosecuted. But this story does nothing to shed light on it.
I think the reality of this is that in the US there are many states with age of consent laws that make no distinctions about age differences among teens, but whether or not to prosecute is left up to the local DAs.
Doesn't sound like he thought they'd be a couple for life. He knocked her up within a few weeks of them going out.
He was on the hook for 18 long years of child support.
That probably gave him a bit of worry more than any incarceration for breaking up with the minor.
It wasn't so long ago that 15 and 17 was considered old enough.
Our society infantilizes youth. We keep them in kiddie playpens ( mis-named high schools and colleges) when most would be better off learning a trade after the eighth grade and getting on with life. ( like getting married and having kids)
Follow the money. Behind these compulsory education laws, and underage sex laws, you will likely find a government school employee who needs a job.
My grandmother was 17 when she was married. My greagrandmother was 15. For her wedding she received her first pair of real shoes. In the play, “Our Town”, by Thornton Wilder, the young marrieds are newly graduated from high school.
So they don’t have to worry about laws but things like disease, pregnancy, and depression will always be there.
I think you mean “formative”.
The specter of having the law coming over your head is a lot to deal with, especially for a teen. A friend of mine recently went to a gun show, and in front of my face he was arrested. He got a misdemeanor DUI years ago in college in another state and when they state transmitted his records home they listed him as having a felony. Now he has all the records proving that he isn’t a felon but none the less he has to go to court after being charged as a felon attempting to purchase a handgun which means serious time.
We all know how cooky British gun laws can be so as far as we know the cops could have just been waiting for the kid to be born so they can run DNA test on it. As for the act itself, yes of course they were stupid but half this country would be locked up for having sex as a teen.
You are most correct!
Thanks for catching that.
He'll be able to get off of course, but only after spending $5,000 to $10,000 in lawyer fees. Aint the law a peach?
“This isn’t an example of over-reaching laws. It’s an example of an embarrassed guy who thought death was an easy way out of stigma and responsibility.”
According to Glenn Sacks, men are the new victims in our society. Who knew?! It *was* blacks, Asians, eskimos, women, Christians, Muslims, Jews, atheists, the disabled, the elderly, the cross-eyed, the left-handed, etc. Glenn saw an opportunity and ran with it. So now I think we have every possible group represented in the Department of Victimhood thanks to Glenn (and) the original poster of this article (who might also be Glenn)...
/s
He will get off, the court is even letting him travel out of the country in the meantime but he’s still going to have to pay a lot of money for their mistake.
Whatever numerical age that happens to be...
JMHO
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