In the early hours of Tuesday, the lower house of parliament voted 67 in favour of the legislation that aims to strengthen the protection of minors – in particular setting the age of sexual consent with an adult at 15.
Any sexual act below that age would be considered non-consensual and a criminal offence.
Jail terms for convictions of incest would be raised to 18 years. The penalty is 20 years for rape, whether incest or not.
Protéger les jeunes mineurs des crimes sexuels | ✔️ Hier soir, l'Assemblée nationale a adopté, à l'unanimité, la proposition de loi, en première lecture.
— Assemblée nationale (@AssembleeNat) March 16, 2021
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Le dossier législatif ➡️ https://t.co/BzVx1fCq1j#DirectAN pic.twitter.com/SgxIBtJMGR
Testimonies back in spotlight
The legislation – consisting largely of 300 amendments rewritten by the government – now passes back to the Senate for a final vote on 25 March.
Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti praised the National Assembly vote, declaring that from now on, “no adult can take advantage of the consent of a minor”.
"Children are off-limits," he said.
The testimonies of victims of underage exploitation and incest were recently brought to the fore under the hashtag "#Metooinceste", which exposed a subject long considered taboo in France.
- France shows willingness to finally set age of consent, at 15
- French political expert accused of incest in new taboo-breaking scandal
'Romeo & Juliette' clause
The legislation also hopes to avoid incriminating legitimate links forged on the cusp of adolescence and adulthood.
A so-called "Romeo & Juliet" clause adds a proviso that penalties only apply if "the age difference between the adult and the minor (under 15) is at least five years".
New provisions within the text aim to combat "sextortion", where minors are incited to engage in sexual practices on the Internet.
The bill is expected to be voted into law and come into effect before the summer, amid government calls for it to be made operational as soon as possible.
