How sad, so sad!
I don't know what the TT means, it was the best way to express myself!
Posted on 05/22/2004 8:51:16 PM PDT by gungadin
Sex between children as young as 12 will be allowed under a shock law change, horrifying teen pregnancy experts, educators and counsellors.
The Crimes Amendment (No 2) Bill is designed to repeal our outdated sex laws but critics are furious at a new section that would allow sex between teenage couples.
The new law would decriminalise consensual sex for children as young as 12, provided their partner is no more than two years older than them. It would allow a girl as young as 12, and a boy aged 12-14, to have sex with impunity. Parents and police would be powerless to act if the relationship was not condoned.
The change would give New Zealand the dubious reputation of having the most liberal stance on sex in the developed world. Most western countries set the age of consent at 16, except France where it is 15.
Critics say the new law would send the wrong message to children, with New Zealand already ranked third in the world for teenage pregnancies.
They don't accept 12-year-olds are capable of understanding the consequences of sexual experimentation.
The bill, which passed its first reading in March and is now before the law and order select committee, updates laws regarding sex crimes that were passed in 1961.
National MP and committee member Tony Ryall said the new clause should be scrapped and accused the government of being out of touch.
"In the week that the prime minister met the Pope they're trying to force through their own liberal values on a community that never asked them to do this," he said.
"The law is clear and simple, sex under 16 is wrong. This is state-sanctioned promiscuity."
But Justice Minister Phil Goff was unrepentant, saying the situation risked turning teenagers into criminals and must be changed.
"We're not condoning sex under 16 but we're saying we recognise it's a reality.
"If we were fastidious about prosecuting we'd be locking up thousands of teenagers and I don't think anybody in society would say that's a good response to the problem."
Goff said the new law toughened penalties on "predatory" actions against anyone aged under 16, removed time limits on prosecuting such offences and introduced gender equality, allowing prosecutions against women who had sex with underage males.
Goff said teenagers' consensual sexual experimentation should not be a crime. Police were currently "turning a blind eye" to such actions.
Asked if our already high teen pregnancy rate would increase, Goff said: "It's not going to add to it because it's not going to change what's already happening."
Fraser High School principal Martin Elliott said he was flabbergasted at the "absolutely bloody bizarre" idea of younger sex.
"I'm just blown away by the stupidity of it," he said.
"The hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me. The drinking age is 18 but they're saying a 12-year-old can have consensual sex and create a new life.
(Excerpt) Read more at stuff.co.nz ...
I wish Brash would elected tomorrow.
I need to finish crying first, before I continue to read this again.
Helen the Evil One has her priorities in order.
Hell's bells, might as well just eliminate the age of consent altogether!
NZ is worse off than I thought. They really want to destroy civilization ASAP, don't they.
When the adults don't have the tools to understand how bad this is, it's fairly clear how badly society has digressed.
I don't know what the TT means, it was the best way to express myself!
Isn't this the country that wants to legalize sibling sex too?
You guys keep going on like this and you know where it'll lead, don't you?
Yup... Australia will be forced to invade, to save you dang Kiwis from yourselves! ;-)
They've gone nuts! Australia should take 'em over for their own good....
New Zealand, a year ago, actually, legalized prostitution.
Is this really true?
Maybe soon in Massachusetts: 
The lefties want us to be 'tolerant' of everything!
Have they legalized gay marriages yet? If not, I'm surprised that hasn't already happened.
"See, see, see. New Zealand lets kids have sex. See, see. We should too."
The lack of reference to "PARENTS" has a tendency to lead one to frustration.
I may be mistaken but didn't the Netherlands lower the age of consent to 12?
Clearly an issue that requires the parents to actually raise their child, and not require the state to step in UNLESS there is a disparity in the ages of more than two years..
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