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I guess - the only objective guide that is available in making these laws is the relative maturity, physical and mental, of the young people involved.
Now obviously... people keep maturing past 18. But I'm sure that it would be possible to graph various attributes (sounds like a joke eh, but I'm serious) and found cut-off points, ie where most development is 'complete'.
I mean to say... to me, a 25yr old is immature. But I'm sure that the rate of learning and (cough) development is much slower between 18 and 25, for example, than 11 and 18.
Fact is though.... In many countries the age is probably 18, purely and simply because that is the legal age for everything else.
My personal view? I think 18 is a fair age of consent. However I strongly support these so called 'romeo/juliet' laws. You cannot on one hand say that a child is too young to consent, but old enough to know better (and hence be guilty of a sex crime).
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