MP High Court Recommends Lowering Age of Consent to 16 to Prevent Injustice to Teen Boys
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has suggested that the Central Government consider reducing the legal age of sexual consent from 18 to 16. The court said that the current age limit, set by the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, has disrupted societal balance and is unfair to adolescent boys involved in consensual relationships.
Justice Deepak Kumar Agarwal made these remarks while hearing a plea to cancel an FIR filed against a 23-year-old man. The man was accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl who had come to him for coaching. The girl alleged that he gave her a drink that made her unconscious.
The accused faced multiple charges under the IPC, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the IT Act. However, the High Court quashed the FIR on June 27.
Justice Agarwal said, “Teenagers often develop mutual attraction and enter into consensual relationships. However, because of the current law, boys are unfairly labeled as criminals. Most such cases involve girls under 18, leading to injustice for the boys. I urge the Government of India to reconsider and restore the age of consent to 16, as it was before the amendment.”
The court also noted that due to widespread use of social media and internet access, adolescents are reaching puberty earlier and becoming involved in consensual relationships at a younger age.
The petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that there was a seven-month delay in filing the FIR and argued that the relationship was consensual. The government lawyer admitted the FIR was delayed but maintained that the girl was a minor at the time of the incident.
In its final observation, the court stated, “Today’s teenagers, influenced by social media, develop physical relationships with mutual consent. These boys should not be considered criminals merely because of age differences. The law needs to reflect this reality.”
The case was dismissed, and the FIR was quashed.
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