Ages of Consent in Europe - Vatican State

Vatican State

The Vatican State has not made its own complete separate criminal code. Instead, in matters of criminal law, as per Article 3 of the Act Nr. 2 "Law of the Source of Law" from 1929 the Vatican State initially used the criminal law of Italy (Codice Penale, CP) of 1889 with all changes until 1929-06-08, if it is not against the ten commandments, gods law, canonical law or the Lateran Treaty (Art. 3). In 1930 the Italian criminal law has changed ("Rocco Code"), which has no effect for the Vatican State. With Act Nr. L from 1969 the version of the used Italian criminal law is changed to 1924-12-31, primaly because of the death penalty reintroduced 1926 in Italy. With the act Nr. LXXI, the "Act on Sources of Law" from 2008-10-01 (in force since 2009-01-01) Act Nr. II from 1929 is void, but with Article 7, the use of the Italian criminal law, like it is introduced with Act Nr. II, Art. 3, from 1929-06-07 and with all changes from the Vatican State until now, is redeclared (until further changes), as long as they do not conflict with ecclesiastical law or laws specifically promulgated by Pope for the Vatican (Art. 3). (The automatic inforcement of italic laws which goes through the press was not for the explicit defined codes, this was for the general clause for other Italian laws.)

As a result, the age of consent is 12, when there is a relationship of dependence the age of consent is 15, like in Italy 1924. This law applies to criminal suspects arrested in Vatican City. If the criminal suspect is arrested in Italy, he is tried under Italian criminal law with an age of consent at 14 resp. 16 years, even the sexual offence occurs in Vatican State.