16 Is Still a Child: Raise Dominica’s Age of Sexual Consent to 18
The Issue
To the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Minister for National Security and Legal Affairs, the Attorney General and all Members of Parliament:
Dominica is grieving following the disappearance and reported death of a 16-year-old girl. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and community.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain a matter for the police investigation. This petition does not attempt to determine what happened or assign responsibility. However, this tragedy has intensified a long-overdue national conversation about the protection of our children.
Under Dominica’s present law, the general age of sexual consent is 16. This means that, unless another offence involving coercion, exploitation, incest, grooming or abuse of authority applies, a 16- or 17-year-old may legally consent to sexual activity with a much older adult. The general age-of-consent provision places no upper age limit on that adult.
At 16, a young person may therefore consent to sexual activity carrying potentially life-changing consequences, including pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, emotional trauma and disruption to education.
Yet, at 16:
- A young person cannot vote.
- A young person generally cannot marry without parental or guardian consent.
- A young person does not yet possess full independent capacity for many legal and social responsibilities.
- The prefrontal cortex—important for planning, prioritising, weighing consequences and decision-making—is still developing.
This does not mean that adolescents have no ability to think, reason or make decisions. It means that the law must recognize their stage of development and protect them from adults who may exploit differences in age, experience, authority, money or power.
At 18, young people can register to vote, marry without parental consent and independently assume many of the legal responsibilities associated with adulthood. Our sexual-offence laws should provide children under 18 with equally meaningful protection.
We now call on the Government of Dominica and every Member of Parliament to act. This national conversation must lead to meaningful legislative change. We urge the Government to begin the process of reforming our sexual-offence laws, bring the necessary amendments before Parliament, and establish a clear and transparent timeline for action. Our children cannot afford indefinite discussion or delay. The time to act is NOW.
We call upon the Government of Dominica to:
1. Amend the Sexual Offences Act to raise the general age of sexual consent from 16 to 18.
2. Include a carefully drafted close-in-age provision so that consensual, non-exploitative relationships between adolescents and young people close in age are not unnecessarily criminalised.
3. Strengthen the law against grooming, coercion, sexual exploitation and the abuse of trust, authority or financial power involving every child under 18.
4. Ensure that the reform does not prevent adolescents from confidentially accessing accurate sexual and reproductive health information, medical care and support.
5. Invest in age-appropriate education, accessible reporting systems, proper investigation of complaints, counselling and survivor-centred services.
6. Begin a transparent national consultation and publish a clear timetable for introducing the necessary amendments to Parliament.
Raising the age of consent will not, by itself, end violence against children. It must form part of a comprehensive national child-protection strategy involving families, schools, healthcare providers, law enforcement, churches, community organizations and young people themselves.
This campaign is about protection—not punishing teenagers for consensual relationships with their peers. It is about ensuring that adults cannot legally take advantage of children who are still developing emotionally, socially and neurologically.
A person under 18 is still a child. Our laws must protect them accordingly.
Please sign this petition and join the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Healing in calling upon our leaders to act.
16 is still a child. Raise it to 18.
Caribbean Movement for Peace and Healing
Peace, Unity and Love
656
The Issue
To the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Minister for National Security and Legal Affairs, the Attorney General and all Members of Parliament:
Dominica is grieving following the disappearance and reported death of a 16-year-old girl. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and community.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain a matter for the police investigation. This petition does not attempt to determine what happened or assign responsibility. However, this tragedy has intensified a long-overdue national conversation about the protection of our children.
Under Dominica’s present law, the general age of sexual consent is 16. This means that, unless another offence involving coercion, exploitation, incest, grooming or abuse of authority applies, a 16- or 17-year-old may legally consent to sexual activity with a much older adult. The general age-of-consent provision places no upper age limit on that adult.
At 16, a young person may therefore consent to sexual activity carrying potentially life-changing consequences, including pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, emotional trauma and disruption to education.
Yet, at 16:
- A young person cannot vote.
- A young person generally cannot marry without parental or guardian consent.
- A young person does not yet possess full independent capacity for many legal and social responsibilities.
- The prefrontal cortex—important for planning, prioritising, weighing consequences and decision-making—is still developing.
This does not mean that adolescents have no ability to think, reason or make decisions. It means that the law must recognize their stage of development and protect them from adults who may exploit differences in age, experience, authority, money or power.
At 18, young people can register to vote, marry without parental consent and independently assume many of the legal responsibilities associated with adulthood. Our sexual-offence laws should provide children under 18 with equally meaningful protection.
We now call on the Government of Dominica and every Member of Parliament to act. This national conversation must lead to meaningful legislative change. We urge the Government to begin the process of reforming our sexual-offence laws, bring the necessary amendments before Parliament, and establish a clear and transparent timeline for action. Our children cannot afford indefinite discussion or delay. The time to act is NOW.
We call upon the Government of Dominica to:
1. Amend the Sexual Offences Act to raise the general age of sexual consent from 16 to 18.
2. Include a carefully drafted close-in-age provision so that consensual, non-exploitative relationships between adolescents and young people close in age are not unnecessarily criminalised.
3. Strengthen the law against grooming, coercion, sexual exploitation and the abuse of trust, authority or financial power involving every child under 18.
4. Ensure that the reform does not prevent adolescents from confidentially accessing accurate sexual and reproductive health information, medical care and support.
5. Invest in age-appropriate education, accessible reporting systems, proper investigation of complaints, counselling and survivor-centred services.
6. Begin a transparent national consultation and publish a clear timetable for introducing the necessary amendments to Parliament.
Raising the age of consent will not, by itself, end violence against children. It must form part of a comprehensive national child-protection strategy involving families, schools, healthcare providers, law enforcement, churches, community organizations and young people themselves.
This campaign is about protection—not punishing teenagers for consensual relationships with their peers. It is about ensuring that adults cannot legally take advantage of children who are still developing emotionally, socially and neurologically.
A person under 18 is still a child. Our laws must protect them accordingly.
Please sign this petition and join the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Healing in calling upon our leaders to act.
16 is still a child. Raise it to 18.
Caribbean Movement for Peace and Healing
Peace, Unity and Love
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Petition created on 13 August 2026