Fox News reports that a group of Republican senators is demanding that United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemn a report they say “gives credence” to pedophiles while undermining safeguards protecting minors from sexual exploitation and abuse.
“We stand firmly against any foreign effort that seeks to undermine the well-established legal principle that children do not possess the emotional or mental maturity required to consent to sexual relations,” the letter, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) stated. “We, therefore, request your immediate opposition to these efforts and to rescind any U.S. taxpayer money that may have directly or indirectly supported United Nations activities related to the report.”
The report in question was presented to the UN Human Rights Council by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and is titled “The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty.”
“In addition to condemning laws, such as those in the United States, that prohibit socially deleterious industries and behaviors, including prostitution and narcotics use, the report also contains a recommendation on consensual sexual conduct,” they wrote.
The section they cite warns against criminalization of consensual sexual contact whether by marital status, gender identity, or sexual orientation, among other features. It also calls for legal age limits on sexual intercourse to be applied “in a non-discriminatory manner.”
Then the report adds: “Moreover, sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law. In this context, the enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of persons under 18 years of age to make decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and their right to be heard in matters concerning them.”
Rubio’s letter accused the report’s finding of flying “in the face of laws across the United States” and much of the world.
“In contrast, there is a growing recognition for the need to protect children from sexual exploitation and has led to numerous nations raising the legal age of consent. This accurately reflects that children do not have the mental capacity to recognize the consequences of sexual intercourse and, given this understanding, the ability to make a knowing choice,” Rubio wrote.
The letter is co-signed by six additional Republican senators – and, unsurprisingly, no Democrats.
In a series of questions, they demand that Greenfield disclose whether the UN supported the report’s findings, how many U.S. taxpayer dollars went toward its creation, and whether the U.S. itself expressed objection to the conclusions.
“The ICJ report gives credence to abhorrent pedophiles and sexual predators who claim that their vile acts should be decriminalized because children would be able to consent to sex. It is imperative that we stand against any effort that undermines the existing legal protections that safeguard children from sexual predators. We hope you share these concerns, and we look forward to your swift cooperation and response,” they wrote.