France's age of consent law... Really they have a law?

French court rules that sex with 13-year-old girl can't be tried as rape

Antonia Noori

France's top court has rejected a bid to pursue rape charges against a group of firefighters accused of repeatedly raping a girl known as "Julie" during a period between her 13th and 15th birthdays.

The men will instead be charged with sexual assault, which carries a lighter sentence than rape. Attorneys for Julie's family plan to contest that decision and bring the case to Europe's court for human rights.

The horrific allegations in Julie's case have galvanized protesters who want to see France enforce tougher standards for age of consent. Julie was 13 when she suffered a seizure in school and was rescued by firefighters, who allegedly got her phone number and began sending her flirtatious messages. Over a two-year period, she was allegedly raped by 20 separate men. According to her mother, she made multiple suicide attempts and is now 80% disabled.

Three of the firefighters admitted to having sex with Julie, but said that they did so consensually. Under French law, sex with a minor under the age of 15 is only considered illegal if it is not consensual. The other 17 men have not been charged.

Protesters who have rallied around Julie's case say that exposes flaws in France's age of consent law, since a child under 15 is not capable of giving consent. This week, France's Assemblée Nationale voted to amend the law so that all sexual acts involving people under the age of 15 would be considered rape. But the legislation has yet to pass through the country's senate.