The age of consent in Delaware is eighteen, and has a close in age exemption. The close in age exemptions we have today allow young lovers to consent to one another without fear of breaking the law, while still keeping harsh restrictions on the age of consent.Ī good real-world example of a Romeo and Juliet law is the state of Delaware, in the United States. In today’s modern society, a relationship like this would most likely violate the age of consent laws. Romeo and Juliet, arguably the most well known play by William Shakespeare, features a love affair between two teens, aged fourteen and seventeen.
They were created specifically to help to protect young people from the relatively extreme consequences of violating the age of consent law, which could label a young person as a sex offender for the rest of their life simply for having consensual sex with their boyfriend or girlfriend.
For example, in an area where the age of consent is set at age seventeen with a close in age exemption of four years, a forty year old man with a fifteen year old girl would be illegal, while that same girl could consent to an individual up to age nineteen.Ĭlose in age exemptions are also known as Romeo and Juliet laws. The area where you live, the ages of both the older and younger party, and other factors have a huge effect on the ramifications of violating the age of consent rule. However, not every jurisdiction has a close in age exemption - see the list at the end of this post. A close in age exemption is a law allowing a young person below the age of consent to have lawful sex with an older partner.
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