Veteran gay activist Peter Tatchell has criticized a British lawyer who called for the age of consent for all sex – gay and straight – in the UK to be lowered to 13.

Barbara Hewson was commenting on a child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the UK with some of the country’s ageing TV stars being arrested or questioned on suspicion of abuse of young boys and girls or women.

Now barrister – or senior lawyer – Hewson has said those rounding up suspected abusers are ‘zealots’ who are ‘manipulating’ the law.

In an article for Spiked online she says the inquiry into the abuse is a ‘graver threat to society’ than the abuse of boys and girls by the dead 1980s TV star Jimmy Savile that prompted the investigations.

And she goes on to call for the age of consent to be lowered to 13 from 16.

But Tatchell, despite famously favoring an age of consent of 14, has joined the attack on her comments.

He told Gay Star News: ‘Barrister Barbara Hewson is mistaken to make light of what she regards as trivial sexual touching. I don’t agree with her proposal to lower the age of consent to 13.

‘She should not be demonized for proposing reforms in the way child sex abuse allegations are prosecuted.’

She is not the only one to attack the current investigation into abuse.

Gay TV star Paul O’Grady, who made his name as drag queen Lilly Savage, has also said Operation Yewtree, as the inquiry is called, is persecuting celebrities.

O’Grady said: ‘Whatever happened to being innocent until found guilty? It’s destroying their reputations.’

Tatchell added: ‘If there is credible evidence of sexual assaults – even if they happened many years ago – abusers should be prosecuted. However, we must not allow a legitimate concern for victims to spill over into a generalized witch-hunt of innocent people, based on mere gossip, hearsay and flimsy evidence.’

And on the point of a different age of consent, he agreed there should be more debate.

He said: ‘Even if we disagree with what she is saying, there should be a calm, serious public debate about her proposals to remove complainant anonymity; introduce a strict statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions and civil actions; and reduce the age of consent to 13.

‘According to the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, 14 is now the average age of first sexual experience for both gay and straight young people. Two 15-year-olds are currently criminalized under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 if they have consenting sex. They can be put on the Sex Offenders Register, alongside rapists. That’s wrong.

‘I would support a reduction in the age of consent to 14 but only if it was accompanied by earlier, better quality sex education in schools – to encourage wiser, safer, more responsible and respectful sexual relationships.

‘This education should include assertiveness training to encourage young people to say no to unwanted sexual advances and to report abusers.

‘Alternatively, we could keep the age of consent at 16 but institute a policy of not prosecuting sex involving young people under 16, providing there is no more than two years difference in their ages.

‘This would make it legal for two young people aged 14 and 16 to agree to sex, but not for a 55-year-old to have sex with person aged 14.

‘It would reduce the criminalization of consenting teenagers, while protecting them against predatory pedophiles.’