Parker Defends Call for Age of Consent at 18 in Response to ASPIRE

Senator Malaka Parker has defended her support for raising Antigua and Barbuda’s age of consent to 18, arguing that stronger protection against sexual exploitation can coexist with respect for adolescent rights.

In a statement responding to ASPIRE’s contribution to the national debate, Parker said her parliamentary intervention focused on protecting children from predators, rather than presenting a higher age of consent as a solution to teenage pregnancy.
“I did not argue that raising the age of consent would cure teenage pregnancy. That was not the subject of my contribution,” she said.
“My argument was about the need for stronger legal protection against the sexual exploitation of children.”
Parker, who described herself as an advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights and a development consultant who has worked with agencies including the United Nations Population Fund, said adolescents must have access to appropriate healthcare, comprehensive sexuality education and information to make informed decisions.
However, she argued that discussions about adolescent sexuality must also confront sexual coercion, grooming, incest and abuse.
In support of her position, Parker cited the 2003 study Adolescent Health in the Caribbean: A Regional Portrait, which she said found that 47.6 per cent of female respondents and 31.9 per cent of male respondents described their first sexual intercourse as forced or somewhat forced.

She acknowledged that these were historical regional figures, rather than current estimates specific to Antigua and Barbuda, but said they underscored the seriousness of the issue.

“Our children must be empowered to understand their sexuality, but they must also be protected from adults who exploit their innocence, trust and vulnerability,” Parker said.

The senator also stressed that cases involving people below the age of consent should not all receive the same legal treatment.

She distinguished relationships between adolescents close in age and maturity from cases involving adults grooming or exploiting children, and expressed openness to examining whether the existing three-year close-in-age provision should be widened with appropriate safeguards.

Parker said age, maturity, coercion and differences in power should inform a proportionate legal response. She also opposed applying a single mandatory minimum sentence rigidly across cases.

“This means that I am not of the view that the rigidity of one mandatory minimum sentence is at all the correct move,” she said.

Explaining her support for an age threshold of 18, Parker argued that it would better align sexual-offence legislation with protections afforded to children.

She also pointed to the vulnerability of school-age adolescents who remain dependent on adults.

Relationships involving adults providing transport, money or gifts to students, she said, may create dependencies that warrant scrutiny for possible grooming or exploitation.

Parker further argued that a young person’s apparent agreement does not necessarily mean they are free from manipulation or pressure.

She acknowledged that legislation alone would be insufficient, calling for adolescent-friendly healthcare, public education, effective reporting mechanisms and adequate resources for police, healthcare providers, social services and courts.

She also urged society to challenge the protection sometimes afforded to alleged predators because of their wealth, influence or social standing, while ensuring fair investigations and due process for accused persons.

Parker welcomed further dialogue with ASPIRE and said initiatives elsewhere in the Caribbean that combine education, support and empowerment could offer lessons for Antigua and Barbuda.

“We must not force a choice between adolescent autonomy and child protection,” she said. “Our children are entitled to both and they can coexist.”