England, teachers will not always be required to report the sexual relationships between teenagers: “We don’t want to criminalize the boys in vain”

In England, teachers and health will soon have the obligation to report to the authorities any suspicion of sexual abuse on minors, based on the new law just presented to the British Parliament. But there is a clause, renamed Romeo and Giuliettaadded at the last moment: If it is a consensual sexual relationship between teenagers, it will not always be necessary to make a report. This clause has obtained a broad transversal consensus in Parliament.

The new bill aims to counter the coverage of abuses on minors, imposing professionals to report suspicions of sexual abuse. But the clause Romeo and Giulietta It also introduces a principle of common sense: when two teenagers have a consensual relationship, the adults involved, such as teachers or nurses, They will be able to evaluate in case if it is really necessary to warn the authorities.

An example: if a 17 -year -old boy has a relationship with a girl of 14, the teacher will not be obliged to report him, as long as there are no signals of coercion or abuse.

Harriet Cross, a conservative deputy elected in 2024 and promoter of the clause, explained the logic as follows: «We know that By law every sexual activity under 16 is illegal. But without this clause, even a consensual relationship between two fifteen -year -olds should be reported as a crime. In this way, however, we trust the teacher’s professional judgment ».

Cross specified that The exception applies only if both boys are more than 13 years old and if there is no doubt about any imbalances Ore forcing in the report: «The level of attention remains high. The rule clearly says that the risk of damage should be assessed. If there is also only the suspicion that there is an abuse or an unbalanced dynamic, the reporting obligation remains “. And he added a concrete example: «If a 14 -year -old girl has relationships with a boy of 17, even if she says she is consenting, an adult could rightly feel uncomfortable for the age difference and the potential risk of manipulation. In that case, it may decide that it is right to report ».

The deputy clarified that this clause does not want to justify sexual intercourse between minors, but avoid disproportionate reactions: «We do not want to criminalize the boys in vainnor discourage them from looking for medical or psychological support. It is an approach similar to that adopted in some Australian states, where consensual relationships between peers are not automatically reported in order not to clog the protection system with cases that do not involve a real risk “.

Even the minister for the protection of minors, Jess Phillips, defended the clause, underlining the importance of not removing young people from helping services: “We avoid absurd situations, how to report two teenagers who kiss in the corridor Just because a teacher saw them. This is not the kind of things I want to manage. And for the record, I don’t like seeing people who kiss in the corridors, teenagers or adults who are, “he said, in an ironic tone, in front of the parliamentary commission.

The bill provides for sanctions for those who do not respect the reporting obligation: transgressors can be recalled by professional orders or reported to the criminal control system. But Only those who deliberately hinder a complaint will be able to incur criminal consequences, up to seven years in prison.