

Under these provisions, anyone 18 years of age or under can’t be convicted of statutory rape if the other consenting party is at least 12 years old. Romeo & Juliet Laws are meant to protect minors from facing criminal charges for having consensual sex with other minors. The state recognizes that consenting, age-mate partners should be protected from prosecution for sexual assault. Sexual assault occurs when a perpetrator subjects a victim to sexual activity that can include touching, fondling, fellatio, and intercourse.įree Case Evaluation Nebraska’s Romeo & Juliet Laws In such cases, consent can’t be used as a defense because the victim is not legally able to give his or her consent. Sex between a person who is 15-years-old or younger and someone over age 19 is classified as sexual assault under Nebraska law, regardless of whether or not both parties willingly participated. State statute gives 16-year-olds the ability to consent to sexual activity with someone who is an adult under this definition. Accused perpetrators of sexual assault can be charged regardless of whether an alleged victim resisted.įor the purpose of discussing consensual sexual activity and the law, Nebraska classifies an adult as someone who is 19-years-old or older. Nebraska doesn’t require victims of sexual assault to resist during unwanted sexual contact if it would be dangerous or useless. Depending on the circumstances, it can also mean that there was an absence of an enthusiastic yes.

Society, and by extension the law, is increasingly recognizing that consent is more than a victim saying no to sexual advances. They can advise you of your rights and how state statutes that address the age of consent will influence the charges leveraged against you.

If you have been charged with statutory rape or sexual assault and have questions about the legal age of consent in the state of Nebraska, contact the attorneys at Berry Law. Along with the stain on a person’s reputation, and require him or her to register on the National Sex Offender Registry, which often make finding a job or a place to live difficult. They may face time in prison and large monetary fines. There have been many cases where a person who believed that they were engaging in consensual sex was later faced with statutory rape or sexual assault charges.Ī wrongful sex crime conviction can have far-reaching consequences on an individual’s ability to work and build relationships in the future. Unfortunately, the laws are quite confusing when it comes to consensual sex and participants’ ages. Read more: A great way to teach our kids about consentĬlick here for a list of the ages of consent around the world.In Nebraska, an individual 16 years or older can legally consent to participating in sexual activity. These are Libya and Sudan, both of which have conservative views on sexuality and gender. Some countries in Africa require people to be married before they can legally have sex. Nigeria is followed by Angola, where the age of consent is 12 years. This would then not only be the lowest age of consent in Africa, but also in the world.

In countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda the age of consent is 18 years.ĭue to seemingly contradictory laws in Nigeria, the age of consent is unclear but could potentially mean that a child younger than 11 years, if married, can legally have sex. In Botswana, Senegal and Namibia a child can consent to sex from the age of 16 years. In most African countries the age of consent is either 16 or 18 years, but the lowest is open-ended, due to marriage laws. The debate around the age of consent is as serious as it ever. The age of consent in other African countries Source: Sections 15 and 16 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007. Any sexual act with a child under the age of 12 years is statutory rape or sexual assault. The law further states that no child under the age of 12 years can consent to sex. Firstly, if the children engaging in sexual acts together are between the ages 12 and 16, they will not be criminally charged and it is not criminal for a child older than 12 years to have sex with a partner who is less than two years older than they are. This, however, does come with exceptions. In South Africa, while a child is legally defined as a person under the age of 18 years, the age of consent is 16 years, regardless of gender and sexual orientation.
