No, the legal age of consent in England is 16.

Which really it should be everywhere. By 16 puberty has already (in nearly everyone) come and gone. You're biologically absolutely ready, and no one other than you should be able to determine if you should or should not act on it.

Puberty is definitely not "gone" by 16. The breasts and penis are still developing into the 20s. Though I do agree 16 is fine for the age of consent.

#17. In England and Wales if the couple are a similar age, but one is under 16, the Home Office won't prosecute them for it. The law is stricter in Scotland though. I'm also wondering if OP's son could be in a position of trust with the 16 year old. That would make it illegal unless both parties are over 18.

#31 true, good point. Even if they were both over 18, if OP's son was in a position of trust then it might still be illegal and would certainly be inappropriate

ChopSuey- the law isn't set because of puberty, but because of mental age. The idea is that a younger person, while able to physically have sex, is not matured enough to make an informed decision about what is best for them long term and is too easily overruled by hormones and an older, persuasive person. The idea is to make it the duty of the "adults" around them not to put them in a position to have to decide in the first place. You wouldn't need an age of consent if it was based on when you CAN have sex. If you aren't old enough to physically do the act, it's doubtful you'd say yes, and then it falls under rape.

ChopSuey - even if you completely ignore the fact that 16 year olds are basically still children and all of the mental and emotional problems surrounding letting children have intimate relationships and potentially have their own children, and focus purely on the physical side...16 is not really ready physically either. Sex leads to babies, and many 16 year olds' bodies are simply not ready for childbirth, even if they can handle the initial sexual act. Much higher rate of infant and mother death, and other complications, when young mothers try to give birth. Yes they can have abortions but that's a difficult emotional act in itself.

#49 just because you have sex doesn't automatically mean you should be ready for a baby, plenty of people have sex and don't have babies. In fact, *gasp* there is more sex without someone getting pregnant than people who have sex and get pregnant. imagine that condoms work

That's not true. By 16, giving birth normally isn't an issue. Younger than that it is though

I think what #13 was trying to say was the four year consent law, if they're from America that is. Legal age in the U.S. averages about 16 but it can differ state to state. As long as both people involved are at least 16 it is legal. Say one is 16 and the other 20, to some this would be rape but the two are in the four year gap which means it is legal as long as consent is present to both parties. This law is also referred to as the Romeo and Juliet law due to age difference and the "forbiden nature" of the age difference. It wasn't a joke or a pun, it's simply a different term used to describe the circumstance.

#49 Look I'll be honest I'm just one of those idiot teens, I'm currently seventeen. And I happen to have lost my virginity. Now I have been with my boyfriend for a year and a half now. We know how much we care about each other, we both get on well with each other's families, he has dinner at mine every week. We spend most weekends together and take our schoolwork and hobbies along with us. We're very close, very open with each other and have managed to have open honest conversations about sex, what we like and don't like, all of that. He was ready before me but he waited until I was sure. And when I was, I told him first and then my mum, so she could take me to go on the pill to prevent any complications. Now I'm sure there are plenty of sixteen year olds who aren't ready or mature enough. But I felt that I was and my mother trusted me with that and agreed that my boyfriend was the right person. TLDR: So really, some of us are ready and responsible enough by then.

It certainly is an issue. Even 18. A woman's body is 100% mature and ready for childbirth at around 20. Sometimes 23. That doesn't mean a safe birth CANT happen, most of the time a teen mom can give birth with no problems, but that doesn't make it as safe as waiting until your body is ready. A big problem is hormone balance and since you body still hasn't found its zone at 16 a majority of the time, pregnancy and child birth can throw it off even more than normal and it can play havoc with your mental health. This is all stuff my OB and primary care doctors told me. I was pregnant with my daughter at 17 and my son at 23. They said it was one of the reason my two pregnancies were so different.

They could TRY. But I'm definitely surprised they went that far, especially considering UK cops are generally pretty chill.

There isn't some force field protecting the innocent from handcuffs....they could temporarily arrest someone and then release them later. or if you're a jerk while being arrested find other charges to file....

Not to mention in most countries it's illegal to resist arrest, even if the arrest is an illegal arrest.

Yes, a girl crying rape must always be the reason for everything. Rape victims are afraid of accusing their perpetrators precisely because of people like you.

A very, very unlikely possibility. Reflexively drawing this conclusion and implying that many girls lie about this fits right in with victim-blaming.

I personally know I girl who did this. She goes around town laughing about how she ruined this guy's life. Meanwhile I know people who were ACTUALLY raped that never say a word because of various reasons. I'd like to stomp her.

#40 can you get a recording of her admitting she made it up and submit it to the the guy's lawyer?

I doubt they'd believe it tbh. That such an uncommon crime (I believe it's something like 15 false reports a year in the U.S., but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) that even if you got a recording the lawyers and judges and juries would all dismiss is as either a faked recording or a coerced/forced recording.

#75 that must be why hidden wires aren't used in police investigations. Oh wait. They are. A vocal confession on tape that shows from the nature/tone of the conversation that it was not forced would definitely have weight in court.

You've got a point #84 But I'm assuming the person who got the recording wasn't a cop and therefore is generally dismissed by law enforcement and the court system.

We're not talking about the US.

the US states?

Each state is the US has it own laws. So the age of consent may be different depending on which state you live in.

@51 Yes. "As it is in certain Unites Sates' states." The sentence makes perfect sense.

#77, ok douche. Just to shame you for being "that guy" that has to correct everyone. Dragongirl could have been differentiating between US states and US territories.

I understood dragongirl perfectly...

16 is the age of consent in England so the son did nothing wrong.

#27 The legal age of adulthood in the UK is 16. We have a lower age of adulthood than other countries.

No i think you still have to be 18 in the UK to be an adult - but you are able to consent to sex at 16.

Actually - that is very true. Confidential information like this should not be given to friends/relatives (including parents) without the person's consent. The police were wrong to disclose the allegation to you without permission. You should report that, OP, it's a breach of your son's confidentiality.

#45. Double checked and you're right. My bad. I was thinking that it was lower based on all the stuff you can legally do at 16. Like move out of home and get married.

Nothing in this situation counts as 'confidential information' actually.

And buy an axe!

in America you have to be 18 years old to buy a fish. :(

But op had to show that their relationship was legal for the age part if I'm reading this correctly. So they didn't know it was legal for an 18 year old and 16 year old to have sex, they wouldn't realize they have to look into it more.

while you are correct as said by OP he had to show them a google search of the age of consent in the uk to clear the matter up,if it had been a duty of care situation that would not have fixed the situation but it did

Well, I can understand a cop doesn't know the entire lawbook. I mean, the book is huge and changes all the time. But something like legal age of consent has been the same for quite some time now as far as I know.