High Court stops blanket criminalization of consensual adolescent relationships

The High Court has issued a landmark ruling stopping the blanket criminalization of consensual sexual encounters between adolescents. This follows a petition that was filed by a group of rights advocates challenging sections of the Sexual Offenses Act which criminalizes all sexual conduct involving persons under 18 years without any distinction between exploitative abuse and mutually consensual , non-coercive peer relationships between adolescents.