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German government backs off unpopular teen sex law: report

The German government is likely to back off a proposal for a new sex crimes law that some experts said could have criminalized normal teenage dating, according to a newspaper report on Tuesday.

Published: 13 May 2008 08:25 CEST

German government backs off unpopular teen sex law: report

Photo: DPA

German Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries, a Social Democrat, agreed to revisions after meeting with legal experts from Germany’s ruling parliamentary coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU), the newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung reported.

Parliament was reacting to criticism from legal experts and sex researchers who said the law could have put normal teenage sexual behaviour into a legal grey area.

Under the original proposal teenagers between 14 and 17 years old could have faced charges for using money or other something else of value to encourage sexual contact from another minor. A previous law had only applied to adults over 18 years of age.

Though the revised proposal will still apply to teenagers, CDU legal spokesman Jürgen Gehb told the newspaper it would only apply when a suspect intentionally takes advantage of a victim’s financial situation in order to get sex.

Critics said the original rule could have left teens facing charges after making out on a movie date.

Germany's Scholz rejects calls for later retirement in Labour Day message

“For me, it is a question of decency not to deny those who have worked for a long time the retirement they deserve,” said Scholz.

Employees in Germany worked more hours in 2023 than ever before: “That’s why it annoys me when some people talk disparagingly about ‘Germany’s theme park’ – or when people call for raising the retirement age,” he said.

Scholz also warned of creating uncertainty due to new debates about the retirement age. “Younger people who are just starting out in their working lives also have the right to know how long they have to work,” he said.

Scholz did not explicitly say who the criticism was targeted at, but at its party conference last weekend, the coalition partner FDP called for the abolition of pensions at 63 for those with long-term insurance, angering its government partners SPD and the Greens.

Scholz saw the introduction of the minimum wage nine years ago – and its increase to twelve euros per hour by his government – as a “great success”. “The proportion of poorly paid jobs in our country has shrunk as a result,” he said.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Is it worthwhile to set up a private pension plan in Germany?

However, he said there were still too many people “who work hard for too little money,” highlighting the additional support available through housing benefit, child allowance and the reduction of social security contributions for low earners.

“Good collective wage agreements also ensure that many employees finally have more money in their pockets again,” he added.

And he said that the country wouldn’t “run out of work” in the coming years.

“On the contrary! We need more workers,” he said, explaining that that’s why his government is ensuring “that those who fled to us from Russia’s war in Ukraine get work more quickly.”

Work means “more than making money,” said Scholz. “Work also means: belonging, having colleagues, experiencing recognition and appreciation.”

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