Global Progress Towards Ending the Sexual Exploitation of Children
A global problem requires truly global solutions to address the sexual exploitation of children.
Indicators
Age of Consent
No
The age of sexual consent is 15 years for both girls and boys. The national legislation provides for a two-year close-in-age exception.
Analysis of country legislation on age of sexual consent, 2024
Extraterritoriality & Extradition
Partial
Kiribati has not established active or passive extraterritorial jurisdiction. Kiribati legislation applies to offences committed partly within and partly beyond the jurisdiction in the same manner as if such act had been done wholly within the jurisdiction. The Criminal Code does not provide for universal jurisdiction over crimes, regardless of where they are committed, the nationality of the offender or the laws of the place where they are committed.
Extraditable offences are those punishable with a maximum penalty of death or imprisonment, or other deprivation of liberty, for a period of one year or more in both the requesting State and in Kiribati (double criminality). There are no specific provisions on extradition of SEC related offences in the national legislation. However, most SEC related offences are felonies that are punishable with imprisonment of three years or more and therefore could be considered as extraditable offences.
Criminal Code,
Extradition Act, 1977, 2003
CSAM Definition
Not Yet Assessed
Background Check Required
Not Yet Assessed
National Commitments
Not Yet Assessed
Child Advocacy Centers
Not Yet Assessed
SEC Police Unit
Not Yet Assessed
Protection Standards Travel and Tourism
Not Yet Assessed
Public SEC Case Data
Not Yet Assessed
Age of Consent Law is Appropriate
The age of sexual consent for both males and females is 18 and a close in age exemption (up to 3 years) is provided for consensual sexual relationships between adolescents.
The age of sexual consent is the legally defined age at which a person is considered mature enough to agree to sexual activity. The age of sexual consent varies across jurisdictions around the world and there is no international legal instrument establishing it, however various forms of advocacy have encouraged States to establish a minimum age under which engaging in sexual contact is considered a criminal offence. This is intended to prevent sexual contact with children and to prevent argument that the child consented as a defence.
Often national provisions related to the age of sexual consent include an exception, known as a close-in-age exemption, making consensual sexual activities between young people lawful if the partners are of similar ages and the age difference is not higher than a certain number of years.
To ensure that cases of child sexual exploitation do not go unpunished, ECPAT advocates for the age of sexual consent to be set at 18 for both males and females with a close-in-age exemption of 2-3 years provided in order to ensure young people are not penalised for consensual sexual acts with peers. The age from which the exemption applies should be established by States but may begin for young people somewhere between 12 and 16 years of age.
Yes The national legislation explicitly indicates that the age of sexual consent unequivocally is 18 for both males and females, with a close-in-age exemption for sexual acts between peers (of up to 3 years) is provided by law.