MPs call for lowering of sexual consent to 16, debate on close-in-age exemptions

A group of MPs have formalised a report that calls for the age of consent to be lowered from 18 to 16.

They also called on government to analyze closely the possibility of close-in-age exemptions, which would allow people below the age of consent to have sexual relations with people just over that age.

Health parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne has described Malta’s age of consent – currently the highest in Europe – as an “anomaly”, noting that the law allows people to get married at 16.

The report was published jointly by the parliamentary committees of health, social affairs and family affairs – who had come out in favour of lowering the age of consent back in November.

The report proposes that sexual obligation become mandatory in all schools, and that it should be taught by people qualified in the subject.

It also calls for condom machines to be installed in all post-secondary and tertiary institutions, for family-based sexual education to be promoted, and for youths over 16 to have access to all medical treatment without need for their parents’ permission.

A study by the Health Promotion Unit indicates that around 40% of youths aged 16 to 18 are sexually active. Half of these youths have had more than one partner in the past six months without using contraception. 14% of girls said that they had their first sexual experience because they had given in to their boyfriends’ demands.