Clause 14 - Child sex offences committed by children or young persons
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Ms Vera Baird (Redcar, Labour)
I hope that I did not jump up too quickly; I thought that my hon. Friend was going to end his peroration. Although I sympathise with the reasons why the amendment was tabled, clause 14 applies clause 10, which is intended to include penetration, to under-18s. Despite his support for the age of consent staying at 16, if his amendment were made, it would appear to give a defence to somebody who penetrated an under-16. Did he intend the amendment to clash with the age of consent?