GOP Senators Urge UN Ambassador To Reject Report That Supports Minors’ ‘Right To Choose’ Adult Sex Partners

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Republican senators are calling on United Nations (UN) Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to denounce a report that they claim “gives credence” to pedophiles while weakening measures meant to protect children 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,” Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) 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 International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) submitted the report to the UN Human Rights Council 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 passage they quote cautions against criminalizing consensual sexual contact regardless of factors like marital status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Additionally, it calls for sexual activity age restrictions to be administered “in a non-discriminatory manner.”

“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,” the report states.

In his response letter, Rubio asserted that the ICJ report’s conclusions were a slap in the face to “laws across the United States” and “a large portion 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.

Six additional Republican senators, including Senator Mike Lee of Utah, Mike Braun of Indiana, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, Steve Daines of Montana, and John Kennedy of Louisiana, have also signed the letter led by Rubio. However, not a single Democrat has taken this action.

They asked Greenfield a number of questions, including whether the UN agreed with the report’s conclusions, how much money was spent on its production by American taxpayers, and whether the majority of the country itself objected to the results.

“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.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network’s most recent statistics show that one in nine girls and one in 53 boys are sexually abused or assaulted by an adult. More than 80% of victims under 18 are female.