Posted on 03/26/2006 11:55:58 AM PST by wagglebee
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Senate committee has taken up a House-passed bill that seeks to decriminalize sex between consenting teenagers, so long as they're both at least 15 and within three years in age.
The House passed an amendment to a bill toughening penalties for sex offenders by trying to ensure that such sexual relationships would not be considered crimes.
"We didn't want to subject those kids to being a sex offender that would be put on the registry for life," Rep. Thomas DePoy, R-Rutland, said in a reference to the state's sex-offender registry. "It doesn't mean we're trying to condone it."
Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, agreed the aim was not to condone teen sex. But he said he knows of cases where young lives have been ruined as a high school romance results in a permanent criminal record and dashed college hopes.
"This issue isn't about whether kids should have sex, but the question is should it be a criminal offense," Sears said.
Vermont's age of consent under current law is 16 and a 17-year-old having consensual sex with a 15-year-old can be prosecuted for sexual assault on a minor.
No figures are available for how many such cases are prosecuted in Vermont. Windsor County States Attorney Robert Sand estimated there are five to 10 such cases per year around the state.
Sand said his fellow prosecutors don't oppose the change proposed by lawmakers, but he called the problem "minuscule."
Defender General Matt Valerio cited Sands' higher number and said, "For the 10, it's devastating."
Sarah Kenney, public policy coordinator with the Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, urged against lowering the age of consent further or widening the age gap beyond three years. Lowering the age another year and allowing a four-year age difference could allow sex between a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old.
"You can have a 14-year-old and you're all over the map in terms of maturity level," Kenney said.
Yes, they take the cake. Perversion, twisted morality, a radical liberal freak show, first class.
Vermont must be running low on sheep and goats.
We'll just ignore the reality that, in fact, that can be the only possible result...
They are completely right in this case.
that's one way to artificially lower the crime rate..while they're at it, if they'd decriminalize burglary, robbery, etc..Vermont could then brag they have the lowest crime rate in the nation..
I thank God I live in Georgia and NOT Vermont..
So, do you believe that a 16 year old who has sex with a 15 year old should be prosecuted as a criminal and branded as a sex offender? Does that make sense to you?
DISCUSSION ABOUT:
"(Vermont) Lawmakers try to accommodate consensual teen sex"
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Yeah, uh-huh. Sure.
This is shocking and disgusting in the extreme. I see nothing in this proposed legislation to provide condoms, lubricants, sex toys or a warm, safe and legal environment in which to rut. The shallowness of Vermont's enlightenment is deplorable.
Hey, no rational thinking on this thread!
"Hey, no rational thinking on this thread!"
Oh, sorry. I'm trying to learn not to be rational, but it's really, really difficult. It's hard to change behavioral patterns you've had for your whole life. [grin]
As someone who went to a New England Prep School, I can only say this is a bad, bad idea. Granted, being 15 and away from home and without supervision (though I was already 17 when I went) isn't the normal scenario for children, but Vermont is one of the NE states with enough schools containing just such a scenario. As much as I am all for institutional and parental control (meaning I'd rather have the school/parents work harder to keep kids in line then maintain laws that do it), from a practical standpoint I see no good coming from this.
Laws won't stop two 15 year olds from having sex. It's just that simple.
"Laws won't stop two 15 year olds from having sex. It's just that simple."
The law seeks to decriminalize - not the other way around. What are the grievous ills coming from existing law?
Laws won't accomplish that; upbringing might - and even that is a tough, uphill battle.
What a ridiculous idea.
And by that I'm referring to the pin heads who criminalized this in the first place.
I'm a parent of two teenaged boys. My wife and I have made it very clear what we feel is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. For the state -- any state -- to step in and criminalize something like this is nuts.
At every stage of human history, some teenagers have experimented with sex. It's not right, but it's a fact. In the vast majority of cases, no long-term harm comes from it. To criminalize this behavior is stupid and a waste of state government time and resources.
The year my daughter graduated another young lady graduated early. The girl who we'll call.... Jenny was sixteen and had a baby 2 weeks before graduation. Jenny and dated her baby daddy since early in her sophomore year. He was a year or two older than her. They were both minors when they began sleeping with each other. Her mother decided that they needed to break up and got a restraining order since they were having sex. Anyway Jenny broke the restraining order by seeking out the boy. She ended up pregnant and he ended up in jail charged with violating the restraining order and statutory rape.
She's now "a brave young woman" for having the baby and he's a registered sex offender. IMO, that's wrong. She ruined his life because she couldn't keep hers zipped up either.
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