Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 22:25:36 +0100 (NFT) From: Bj|rn Skolander 12/20/94 Corrections and contributions to this list should be mailed to: larry@bradley.bradley.edu but we euro-queers would also like to know if there are any changes. I would also like to see reports from countries like: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, former Soviet Republic, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia. Bjorn ------- AGE OF CONSENT LAWS IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE STATES IN 1993 [With thanks to Alan F. Reekie, ILGA Administrative Office, Brussels, Belgium (tel/fax: +32.2-502.2471)] (Where two ages are shown this is either because a higher age applies where the older person is in a position of authority or influence over the younger, or because sexual activity is legal at the lower age unless the younger person subsequently complains. In certain countries, persons below the minimum age shown here can participate in sexual acts under certain conditions without either them or their partners necessarily committing a criminal offence) COUNTRY AGE OF CONSENT heterosexual lesbian gay men AUSTRIA 14 14 18 BELGIUM 16/18 16/18 16/18 BULGARIA 14 14 14 CYPRUS 16 16 n.a.[1] CZECH REPUBLIC 15 15 15 DENMARK 15/18 15/18 15/18 FINLAND 16 18 18 FRANCE 15/18 15/18 15/18 GERMANY 14 14 14/18 [2] GREECE 15 15 15 HUNGARY 14 18 18 ICELAND 14 14 14 IRELAND 17 17 17 ITALY 14/16 14/16 14/16 LIECHTENSTEIN 14 14 18 LUXEMBOURG 16 16 16 MALTA 12/18 12/18 12/18 NETHERLANDS 12/16 12/16 12/16 NORWAY 16 16 16 POLAND 15 15 15 PORTUGAL 16 16 16 SAN MARINO 14/16 14/16 14/16 SLOVAK REPUBLIC 15 15 15 SPAIN 12/18 12/18 12/18 SWEDEN 15 15 15 SWITZERLAND 16/20 16/20 16/20 TURKEY 18 18 18 UNITED KINGDOM 16 16 18 An equal age now exists in 21 out of 28 Council of Europe countries. NOTES 1. Cyprus: Sex between men is completely illegal. The European Court has ruled that this is in breach of the ECHR and the law will soon be changed. 2. Germany: The German government has announced its intention to introduce a common age of consent of sixteen for heterosexual, lesbian and gay sex. ARMED FORCES STATUS Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have no discrimination in the Armed Forces. Discrimination is about to end in New Zealand. -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++