Age of Consent in Italy

What is the Italy Age of Consent?

The Age of Consent in Italy is 14 years old. The age of consent is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participation in sexual activity. Individuals aged 13 or younger in Italy are not legally able to consent to sexual activity, and such activity may result in prosecution for statutory rape or the equivalent local law.

Italy statutory rape law is violated when an individual has consensual sexual contact with a person under age 14, or knowingly perform sexual acts in the presence of such a minor. There is a close in age exemption, allowing 13 year olds to consent to partners less than 3 years older. The age of consent rises to age 16 when one of the partners has some kind of influence on the other(priest, teacher, ect.). If the minor is under age 10, no complaint is necessary. Sexual activity with a prostitute is only legal if the prostitute is under age 18.

Italy has a close-in-age exemption. A close in age exemptions, commonly known as "Romeo and Juliet law" in the United States, is a law designed to prevent the prosecution of underage couples who engage in consensual sex when both participants are significantly close in age to each other, and one or both are below the age of consent.

Depending on the situation, the Italy close-in-age exemption may completely exempt qualifying close-in-age couples from the age of consent law, or merely provide a legal defence that can be used in the event of prosecution.

Age of Consent across the world

The Age of Consent ranges from as low as 11 to as high as 20 years old across the world. Click any country for details, or view countries with the highest & lowest ages of consent.

Age of Consent Map:

Must be married

< 13 years old

14 years old

15 years old

16 years old

17 years old

18 years old

> 19 years old

Back to list of international ages of consent View state ages of consent in the USA