A 16-year-old boy from County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland found out the hard way that even if there is consent, sexual intercourse between two individuals that are under the age of 17 is illegal, and may result in charges being filed.

The legal age for sexual consent varies widely from country to country across the world, coercing a global debate regarding what age is appropriate for a young female to have sexual intercourse. Despite the age typically being the same for both males and females, when sexual intercourse occurs below the legal age, the male is often accused of statutory rape, even if the pair are the same age.

The two teens met up with each other in Dublin, Ireland, at a social event, according to the Metro. At one point during the event, the 16-year-old teens had sexual relations, which both consented to the act. When the female returned home after the event, she shared the sexual encounter with her parents, who in turn called the police to report the underage sexual encounter. As a result, the unnamed boy (due to his age) was arrested and charged with statutory rape.

The boy, who was in state care according to the Journal, attended the event and met up with the young girl. The young girl, who was not in state care, claimed that one thing led to another and they simply had sexual relations. The young girl’s parents claim that the boy was not in a relationship with their daughter and that despite her consent, the sexual act should not have occurred.

The age of sexual consent in Dublin is 17-years-old.

According to court records, the male that is being charged with statutory rape has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, making him quite vulnerable in a group setting. Judge Zaidan claims that the boy is easily taken advantage of and the need for state protection is essential for his well-being. In addition, Zaidan does not feel that the boy truly understands the charges against him.

“Someone has to guide him and be firm, someone has to give him love. His parents have let him down. He is easily taken advantage of and needs the protection of the state.”

The young boy has been bailed from jail. However, despite the judge’s opinion on the matter, the young boy still faces charges of statutory rape, despite mutual consent from both parties involved.

The case brings forth a debate regarding the age of consent and the inconsistent age from one country to another. In Nigeria, the age of consent is as low as 11-years-old. In South Korea, the age of legal consent is 20 years old. The world average is 16-years-old. However, the debate brings forth the question, is there an actual age that should be used for legal consent, or should it really be left to the individual to decide?

As shown below, U.K. Barrister Alan Watt would like to see the age of consent lowered to 13-years-old, in an effort to prevent older men from being wrongly prosecuted after partaking in mutually-consented-upon sexual intercourse with a young teen.

Sonia Poulton feels the opposite, due to the emotional and physical issues that children and teens face, claiming the age of consent should be raised.

On the other hand, Cristen Conger wonders if an actual age is really feasible when to individuals mutually consent to partake in sexual relations. Querying whether there are other factors that play into the situation, such as emotional maturity or condition.

[Image via Sam72/Shutterstock]