(Pics related)
(Sorry if this is old news)
During a different dig, I came across articles on changes to France’s statutory rape laws. So:
-From a 2017 article (#1) “France is poised to change its statutory rape laws after a man was acquitted of raping an 11-year-old after the prosecution was unable to prove it was not consensual.”
-In February of 2018, France passed a law addressing this that went into effect in September 2018, as discussed in article #2 where they write, “Most notably, the new law, which goes into effect in September, makes it easier for sexual intercourse between an adult and a minor under 15 to be charged as rape.
Under current legislation, sex with a child under 15 years of age is considered an offense, but prosecutors need to prove it was forced in order to classify it as rape.
…
Under the new law, judges would be able to classify intercourse with a minor as rape if the sex resulted from an "abuse of vulnerability." Specifically, sex between adults and children under 15 would be considered rape if it were to be found that the adult abused the child's lack of understanding to engage in the act.
According to the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest legal authority, an earlier draft text that said minors under 15 would be assumed not to have given consent to sex with an adult could have been ruled unconstitutional.”
So if the child is under 15, it’s ok if a judge says it’s ok.
Awesome.
#1 and Pic 1 - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-man-rape-11-year-old-consensual-relationship-cleared-law-change-marlene-schiappa-a8052766.html
#2 and Pics 2, 3, & 4 - https://www.dw.com/en/france-passes-new-law-on-child-rape-sexual-harassment/a-44919914
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Bonus - From Pic 1, Nicki Minaj’s brother was convicted of raping an 11 year old girl, November 2017 (his step-daughter, apparently). First charged in 2015 - https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/jelani-maraj-nicki-minaj-brother-rape-conviction-underage-girl-long-island-a8047166.html
*Sentencing keeps getting pushed back: “However, in October 2018, the judge that presided over Maraj’s case ordered a juror misconduct inquiry after it was revealed the jurors may have been biased against Maraj.” From https://www.yourtango.com/2018319912/who-is-nicki-minaj-brother-details-about-jelani-maraj-his-rape-conviction
I guess the jurors weren’t sequestered for a “high profile” case. Or something.