Fine, move to Spain, France, or Japan where 14 is the age of consent
age.
From wikipedia:
The age of consent in France is 15, as specified by Article
227-25…Article 227-27 prohibits sexual relations with minors over
age 15 (aged 15, 16 or 17) " 1° where they are committed by a
legitimate, natural or adoptive ascendant or by any other person
having authority over the victim; 2° where they are committed by a
person abusing the authority conferred by his functions."
Also:
However in April 1999 the Japanese parliament wrote into law The Child
Welfare Act which changed the age of consent to 18 and the age of
majority to the age of 20. (The Child Welfare Act [1999] Articles 2
and 3 respectively) It also restated that the legal age of marriage to
be no less than 16 for females and 18 for males but only after
parental consent.
Spain is still pretty ick. The age of consent there is actually 13.
And Romeo is, IIRC, no older than 16. Not exactly a fair comparison. But besides that your example comes from a (simulacrum of a) period of history in which women were essentially property in many, perhaps most, respects and in which slavery and serfdom were not the least bit extraordinary. The past is a foreign country.
You apparently agree with the rest of us that some of these “decisions made by societies” are better than others:
Why “fortunately” if it’s just a completely arbitrary and senseless rule?
Note France’s law specifies statutory rape as applying to people from 15 to 17 who have a sexual relationship with someone older than them and in a position of authority over them – exactly as in this case. The man was in his 50’s and in a position of authority over the girl.
Which is not to say it’s impossible that this was “true love” and there wasn’t any element of coercion involved. However, the circumstances really do suggest otherwise. We expect 14 year olds to make bad, stupid decisions. I think what most of us hope is that adults in positions of authority over the children – ya know, parents, clergy, doctors, teachers – do their best to help children understand why such decisions are bad and stupid. I think very few of us hope that the adults in question – especially ones with 50+ years of “wisdom” under their belts – take advantage of those bad, stupid decisions for their personal gratification.
Where, exactly, the line is drawn is in some sense arbitrary, but that the line is drawn in the first place is not arbitrary. And the “where” is not completely arbitrary either unless you think 18 makes the same amount of sense as 8. (God I hope not.)
Incidentally I taught high school when I was 22 or 23 (forget which). You know what I didn’t do? Pursue a sexual relationship with any of the students at my school. Of course, a 23 dating an 18 year old is not illegal nor even particularly inappropriate. But even so a teacher dating a student is indeed inappropriate and I knew this in my early 20’s. This guy, with his extra 30 years, absolutely knew this and did what he did anyway – and not with an 18 year old but a 14 year old! The difference between the two, at least in our society, is not exactly arbitrary.
I have no problem with May/December romances but in context this seems like a very shitty situation. Anyone apologizing for the teacher or blaming the young woman is a scumbag in my book.
