Sex and sensibility: Chennaiites voice opinion of HC ruling

The Madras High Court recently observed that consensual sex or bodily contact after the age of 16 should be excluded from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Chennaiites weigh
Sex and sensibility: Chennaiites voice opinion of HC ruling

The Madras High Court recently observed that consensual sex or bodily contact after the age of 16 should be excluded from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Chennaiites weigh the pros and cons of making this amendment 

Anisha Rajasekar, 
20, Student
I am not opposed to this revision. Adolescents at that age tend to be curious and it is acceptable to normalise these acts that are expressions of their curiosity. As long as sex is consensual and the people involved are provided adequate sex education, this is a good move. If the people involved are not informed and there are unwanted pregnancies, there should be provisions to help them as well. 

Pournami MS, 
19, Student
It is an individual’s choice of getting involved in consensual sexual relationships. The age difference won’t determine their decision as mature or not. Even if the age for consensual sex is reduced to 16, the ones who are benefited from that will get more authority for their decisions. Also, the ones who want to take advantage of the minors will have more advantage as they won’t be considered minors if the Act is passed. 

 GN Sharad, 
49, Businessman
I disagree with the amendment. A 16-year-old may not have the maturity to understand the difference between consensual sex and non-consensual sex. So the other party can take advantage of him/her and get away with it by getting protection under the Act. As the age for drinking, voting and others is 18, the age for having consensual sex should also remain 18. The POCSO Act should not be amended 

Vijayalakshmi Devanathan, 19, Student
I think this is a bad move as there will be a lot of room for abuse. A relationship between an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old will be more mature than a relationship between 16-year-old and a 22-year-old. Plus, scientifically speaking, an 18-year-old is in a better state of mind to have consensual sex with a partner and realise what consent is than a person who is 16 years old. 

Vijayalakshmi Parthasarathy, 52, homemaker
The High Court’s recommendation to reduce the age for consensual sexual acts is absolutely ridiculous. Even with the legal age being 18, a lot of sexual offences are taking place. If the age is reduced then it will give room for offences to take place easily. The body of a 16-year-old is not biologically ready for sex. It also is not a mature age to take a decision which may affect the future of the girl.

Yagna Saravanan, 19, Student 

The keyword we’re looking at here is “consent”. As long as the people involved in the relationship are aware of what they want, this suggestion seems fair. Although this is highly subjective, at 16, we’d expect the concerned person to be mature to make decisions. The HC has to properly distinguish assault and consensual sex, as there have been instances where this uncertainty has been misused. 

Adarsh Nair, 22, Engineer
I don’t agree with reducing the age for consensual sex to 16 because it will only cause problems. What does a 16-year-old know about people to let someone have sex with her? What if she gets pregnant? This new amendment shouldn’t be accepted. A girl or boy at the age of 16 is practically a kid and wouldn’t know anything about the world. If they plan to reduce the age for consensual sex to 16, then they should reduce it for voting and also for getting licence.

 V Srinivasaragavan, 19, Student
I applaud the Madras High Court judge’s observation to recommend an amendment to the age of consensual sex. This move aims to create awareness of adolescent and teenage relationships and provides an opportunity for the system to understand, respect and acknowledge the same without criminalising it. This move brings to light the numerous incidents around teenage infatuation and interest, and 
promotes society and the system to not alienate but to accept the facts of the matter. I find this as a bold move forward to create a well-aware and informed system.

Hemanth Kumar, 22, UPSC aspirant  
I agree with reducing the age bar to 16 as every individual hits their puberty before 16. The capacity to comprehend based on sex education is being inculcated via means of the Internet and communication with the general public. Bringing down the age bar also curbs the unlawful framing of innocent minors under rape cases. More reasoning must be made to elucidate on what basis the five-year age gap has been given as it does not include the data on equality based on gender.  

Neha Gupta, 19, Student
While we are exposed to a lot of information — thanks to the Internet, 16-year-olds are not mature enough to maintain sexual relations while knowing the consequences of their actions. A majority of the Indian youth lack adequate knowledge regarding sex, which can be resolved by providing proper sex education. This law is commendable, but the government cannot jump to the final step of progress by skipping all the necessary steps in between. 

Kevin Ebenezer, 19, Student
Considering the wild and fun-loving world we live in, it is common for teenagers to have sex before the age of 18. But if the government were to change the consenting age to 16, it would be like breaking down our country’s last wall of defence for protecting our women. Women’s bodies aren’t prepared for sexual acts at 16, biologically or mentally. The problem of unwanted pregnancies and abortions would rise and girls will suffer between strict parents and pressurising boyfriends. A girl at 16 will be curious about her body and a girl at 18 will be cautious. This move only leads to the violation of a woman’s rights and her body.

Karthika Venkat, 19, Student
The High Court is keeping up with the present time, so I agree with this move. All over India, a lot of people are exposed to sexual content, so why follow an act that is well behind our day and age? Even pre-teens are aware of sex and sexuality. At 16, one is mature both physically and mentally. Engaging in sexual relations at an age younger than that would be risky and it would also be an indication of serious underlying psychological problems. The emphasis should also be on the consensual part of it, which is what shows that both parties know the difference between good touch and bad touch. 
 

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