# Is the age of consent in France really 13?

*Follow-ups on France: relations with Muslims and the age of consent*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zz85auzek5w/s/14/
- Date: 2021-04-06 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #209 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (1:28:55–1:31:12)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ85AUzeK5w&t=5335s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zz85auzek5w/

**Topics:** Current events commentary

**Question as asked:** Is it true that the age of consent in France is 13?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth doubts the claim that France's age of consent is thirteen, and distinguishes laws on relationships between teenagers of similar age from an adult engaging with a child.

## Longer summary

A viewer comments that France has had strange relations with Muslims since the Middle Ages; Mufti Abu Layth says he does not know about the Middle Ages but agrees for the colonial period. To a claim that the age of consent in France is thirteen he says he does not think so and believes it may be fifteen. He says the UK and, he believes, most European countries have what he calls a Romeo and Juliet clause, under which a sexual relationship between teenagers of similar age is treated differently and often not prosecuted, which he distinguishes from an adult engaging with a child. He then thanks a viewer who mentions a book describing France as a stealth Christian country.

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:28:55–1:31:12)

[1:28:50] This is just a car crash in slow motion. So yeah, Yazid, you're doing it. You're doing it. Much love for the super chat. You're doing it. Seems like France always had weird relations with Muslims since the Middle Ages. Yeah, it is true. It kind of uh I don't know about the Middle Ages, but definitely um in the during the colonial periods definitely France the age of consent is 13.

[1:29:22] I don't think that's true. I don't think that's true. I I believe it it may be 15, but I don't think it's definitely don't think that's true. But they do have, you see, even the UK, they do have something known as a I believe it's called a Romeo Juliet clause. And that's in the UK as well, as far as I'm aware that that's that where there's a similar age teens where they have a relationship.

[1:29:52] So their boyfriend, girlfriend and it gets sexual that that I believe falls it's kind of has a it derrogates from the normal sexual engagement with a minor or a child and it's viewed upon differently. So it's not I I believe in many cases that's not deemed in the public interest to take legal action against that.

[1:30:19] So there is a clause uh that's within the UK as well and I'm sure that's within most European countries uh as well which is different to an adult engaging with a with a child or with a young girl. It's very different. So this is like a boyfriend and girlfriend at school and they have relationship and then it gets sexual.

[1:30:43] Right. Okay. Next question. Hearty, you're doing it with the super chat. Much love. Much love. France is a stealth Christian country and there is a uh a book that explains that. Shukran. Shukran. Salic. Much love for the super chat. Yeah, you're doing it. You're doing it. Hope you're well. I recently came across the al-Islam.

[1:31:09] Yah. You see the thing is everybody wants the piece of the muty [laughter] everybody want it man there's nothing new there nothing new there you see I think it's enough that when people their whole they only can get when people can only get attention if they speak about you that speaks volumes one about you and two about them.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment zZ85AUzeK5w/s/14. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/zz85auzek5w/s/14/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.