A prospective study on the sexual victimization of adolescent females by romantic partners and the relationship to the age gap between the partners

Abstract

Introduction: According to statistics, 70% of reported rape cases had happened with the willingness of the female partner, where the law enforcement authorities have charged as the victim is below 16 years. This study evaluated the sexual victimization of such females by their partners in relation to the age gap between the couple.Methodology: This is a descriptive study of 63 female victims of sexual assault aged 12 to 16 years, presented to the National Hospital Kandy during a one-year period. The sample was divided into three groups according to the age gap between the victim and perpetrator (P1; 0 to 5.9 years, P2; 6 to 11.9 years and P3; 12 to 18 years)Results: The age gap of the couples ranged from 1.8 to 17.7 years, with a mean of 9.5 years and 49% belonging to P2. The percentage of couples engaging in sexual relations with penile penetration was higher with an increasing age gap. In P1, 71% had willingly engaged in sexual activity, while it was only 45% and 44% in P2 and P3 respectively. Furthermore, in P3, 30% of the victims had allowed the alleged sexual act following intimidation, but it was not observed in P1. This study revealed that within a month of courtship sexual activity had occurred in 55% of cases in P3 while it was 32% in P2 and, only 21% in P1. In P3, 11% had engaged in sexual activity on the first encounter, whereas it was not observed in P1 and P2.Conclusion: With the increasing age gap, the vulnerability to sexual victimization of female adolescents by partners is more prevalent. Therefore, considering the age gap between partners may be more justifiable than adhering to a fixed age of consent to prosecute and punish in cases of sexual assault of adolescent females. Hence, it is evident that the application of the “Romeo and Juliet exemption” to the Sri Lankan setup is timely and justifiable.