Avoidable tragedy

A miserable news item from the BBC:

A teenage boy hanged himself after his 15-year-old girlfriend became pregnant, an inquest has heard.

Paul Briggs, 17, of Ferndale, Rhondda, feared he would be reported to police for under-age sex with Kyra Applin, the hearing in Miskin was told. The couple told their families they wanted the pregnancy to go ahead but he hid his fears about being prosecuted, the inquest heard. He died three months before the birth.

This time five years ago, when the Sexual Offences Act was going through parliament, a very small group of orgs fought to have a defence of consent included for mutually-agreed sexual relationships between teenagers. We lost. The argument against us was on child protection grounds: it might create a loophole that might lead to the exploitation of children.

And so, in the name of child protection, this young man has died and two families have been shattered. Does that make sense to you? Nor me.

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