Petition to raise age of sexual consent to 21 fails to gain necessary votes

An electronic petition to the Cabinet of Ministers proposing to raise the age of majority and sexual consent in Ukraine to 21 did not receive the required number of votes for consideration.

The petition was registered on July 1, 2026. As of October 2, it had received about 1,500 votes out of the required 25,000.

What the petitioner proposed

The initiator proposed to revise the current age limits, arguing, in particular, with research on brain development and the increased vulnerability of young people to psychological pressure and manipulation.

In her opinion, raising the age of sexual consent could strengthen the protection of young people from sexual exploitation and coercion.

In addition, the petition proposed to create an expert commission involving lawyers, psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, human rights activists, and representatives of public organizations.

The Commission should conduct a comprehensive scientific and legal study of the feasibility of raising the age of majority to 21.

What is the age of sexual consent in Ukraine

Currently, the age of sexual consent in Ukraine is 16 years.

Responsibility for acts of a sexual nature against a person who has not reached the age of 16 is provided for, in particular, by Article 155 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to this article, the commission by an adult of acts of a sexual nature related to penetration into the body of a person who has not reached the age of 16 may be punishable by restriction or imprisonment for a term of up to five years.

Since the petition did not collect the required 25 thousand signatures, it did not receive the necessary support for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine