
With utter astonishment I've been reading the media coverage of the 'story' of Alfie Patten and Chantelle Steadman, the 13 and 15 year old parents. The media are reporting that the happy couple could, once she reaches 16, apply for social housing and move in together at which point Chantelle could apply to be Alfie's primary carer and claim child benefit for him along with the child that he fathered on her.
I got to thinking that surely there must be some law against such things? Having sex with a minor is an offence, isn't it? So I found the Sexual Offences Act 2003 chapter 42 to have a look.
8 Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
(1) A person commits an offence if—
(a) he intentionally causes or incites another person (B) to engage in an activity,
(b) the activity is sexual, and
(c) B is under 13.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section, if the activity caused or incited involved—
(a) penetration of B’s anus or vagina,
(b) penetration of B’s mouth with a person’s penis,
(c) penetration of a person’s anus or vagina with a part of B’s body or by B with anything else, or
(d) penetration of a person’s mouth with B’s penis,is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.
Given that we know Alfie's age and we can, through DNA testing, verify if he is within reasonable doubt the biological father of the child (and therefore whether he was engaging in sexual activity under the age of 13) will prosecutions be forthcoming?

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