WHEREAS the age of consent for sexual activity in Canada is 14, one of the lowest in the world; AND WHEREAS Canada has established a reputation internationally as a haven for sexual predators of children ECPAT International, 2000; AND WHEREAS the commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth represents a gross imbalance of power between an adult and a child and constitutes a form of child sexual abuse that causes extreme lifelong emotional, physical and sexual harm; AND WHEREAS pimps, johns, pornographers and others who sexually exploit children use the age of consent to justify their actions; AND WHEREAS adults using children to satisfy their own dangerous impulses, frustrations and need to dominate must be considered a crime and adult predators must be punished; AND WHEREAS raising the age of consent would assist in the prosecution of child sexual predators and provide children and youth with an additional measure of protection until they reach a higher level of maturity and understanding about the issues involved in engaging in sexual activity: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the federal government ensure the right of children to be free of adult sexual exploitation by amending the Criminal Code to state that no adult can engage in sexual activity with a child under 16 years of age.
