Teenagers having sex is news to no one. Thank goodness the government has seen sense on this | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

A ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause in England’s crime bill is common sense – now let’s focus on the men who really harm young girls

God, remember kissing in corridors? It’s been so long since I was a teenager that I had honestly forgotten how much snogging used to happen at school, until it was mentioned in the House of Commons this week. (I have never been a fan of the word snogging, yet as a term it’s powerfully evocative of late 1990s-early 2000s adolescence, conjuring a heady mix of Impulse body spray and Lynx Africa, the taste of Juicy Fruit chewing gum, and the sound of braces clashing.)

Teenage love is in the headlines, because of the news that there will be a “Romeo and Juliet” exemption to the new crime and policing bill obliging professionals in England, including teachers and healthcare workers, to report suspicions of child sexual abuse. The exemption for teenagers in consensual sexual relationships received cross-party support, recognising that “not all sexual activity involving under-18s is a cause for alarm or state intervention”.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist and author

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