Labour women call for staggered age of consent to protect teens from sexual predators

Two of Labour’s top women’s rights campaigners have backed calls to stagger the age of consent following allegations that Russell Brand and David Walliams sexually exploited girls. Baroness Harriet Harman suggested criminalising adults who have sex with 16 and 17 year-olds, while MP Jess Phillips urged ministers to draw up potential policy on changes to the age of consent, after ministers promised to consider the issue. It comes after a woman waived her right to anonymity to publicly claim she was sexually exploited by Brand as a 16-year-old schoolgirl, and follows separate claims by a woman who alleged Walliams had sex with her when she was 17. Mia Latter, now 37, alleged to The Sunday Times that she had been mistreated by jailed comedian Brand when she was 16 and he was 30. She called for the age of consent to be staggered to outlaw relationships between adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17. First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said on Sunday that changing the age of consent – set at 16 in 1885 – would be a “massive step” but that the idea deserved “proper consideration and scrutiny”. Harman, who is the Government’s special envoy on women and girls, told The i Paper that staggering the age of consent was a “good idea”. ‘Precedent’ to stagger the age of consent Under current UK law, adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds. The former Labour deputy leader said there was “precedent” because people in positions of trust such as teachers or care workers or sports coaches cannot have sex with under-18s who are in their care. Harman suggested creating a new criminal offence. She said: “Age of consent implies that it’s regulating the young person, when it’s really about criminalising the older person.” Phillips, who was safeguarding minister until Andy Burnham took over as Prime Minister, told The i Paper: “I think it’s a totally fair thing to ask for and the Government should commit to working up possible policy on this and positions of trust in the mix. “Obviously it needs to happen alongside improved relationship education because the growing group of people who sexually abuse girls are boys. So in the round it needs sorting.” Baroness Harriet Harman suggested criminalising adults who have sex with 16 and 17 year-olds (Photo: PA) Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the stories about Brand and Walliams in the past week were “appalling”, adding that “this abuse of power by powerful men has struck the whole country”. He told the BBC: “It’s certainly a question that has been raised and will be discussed, can’t tell you what the conclusion of that would be, but the last week has certainly put that up in lights.” For the Conservatives, shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately agreed that it was “a moment to look again” at the age of consent, which in the UK allows adults of any age to legally have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds. Whately, who has a 16 year-old daughter, said: “If your teenage daughter comes home after spending time with somebody who’s in their 40s or my age, we’re like, ‘Oh, there’s something funny going on here’, so I think it’s an interesting idea.” Latter called for the introduction of a staggered age of consent – which would make relationships between adults and teenagers aged 16 and 17 illegal. Abuse of power has ‘struck the whole country’ She said: “It’s shocking to me time and time again that whenever the news comes up again about him, it’s always in the comments about the relationship with a 16-year-old. “That’s not the most heinous bit. But why is that the thing that everybody collectively gets stuck on? I think we all sort of agree that … adults shouldn’t be allowed to have sexual relationships with children, with somebody under the age of 18. That really doesn’t seem like a gigantic leap to take. “If you’re between the ages of 16 and 18, it seems reasonable that you can have relationships with each other, and [teenagers] are always going to. But … if you’re in your thirties, forties and fifties and you’re trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18, it [should be] a criminal offence.” Brand was convicted of attacks against four of the six women who gave evidence against him, and he is now serving a 10-and-a-half-year prison term for one count of rape and three sexual assaults. Earlier this week, it was announced that a series of “serious” sex offence allegations against Walliams are being examined by the Metropolitan Police following an investigation by The Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday. Walliams denies any wrongdoing and said he was not a sexual predator. Brand was jailed last week for more than 10 years after being convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He had denied the offences.