🔴 Sex with someone under 16

• Treated as a sexual offence against a minor
• Can lead to:
  • prison sentences (typically 1–5+ years depending on circumstances)
  • higher penalties if there is grooming, coercion, or authority abuse

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🔴 Aggravating factors (increase punishment)

• Teacher, coach, guardian, or authority figure involved
• Grooming or manipulation
• Violence, threats, or coercion
• Significant age difference

Penalties can rise significantly in these cases.

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🔴 Under 18 exploitation or prostitution involvement

• Considered child sexual exploitation or trafficking-related crime
• Penalties can include:
  • long prison sentences (often 5–12+ years or more depending on severity)
  • additional charges for facilitating, profiting, or organising

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⚖️ 2. What “exploitation” means under Spanish law

Spanish law treats “exploitation” broadly. It includes:

🔹 Key definitions

• Forcing someone into sexual activity for money or benefit
• Taking advantage of vulnerability (economic, emotional, age-related)
• Controlling or profiting from another person’s sex work
• Recruitment or grooming into prostitution
• Transporting or housing someone for sexual exploitation

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🔹 Important point

Even if someone “agrees”, it may still be illegal if:

• there is dependency (financial, emotional, immigration status)
• there is manipulation or grooming
• a third party benefits (pimping/organising)

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🌍 3. How Spain compares with other countries

🇪🇸 Spain

• Age of consent: 16
• Prostitution: not illegal, but unregulated
• Strong focus on anti-exploitation laws

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• Age of consent: 16
• Prostitution: legal to sell sex, but many related activities are illegal (soliciting, brothel-keeping, pimping)
• Strong enforcement around exploitation

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🇫🇷 France

• Age of consent: 15
• Buying sex is illegal (Nordic model since 2016)
• Strong criminalisation of clients and stricter anti-prostitution laws

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🇩🇪 Germany

• Age of consent: 14–16 depending on circumstances
• Prostitution is legal and regulated
• Must register and comply with health/tax rules
• However, exploitation and trafficking are heavily punished

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🧭 Quick summary

• Spain: 16+ consent, but strong anti-exploitation enforcement
• Most serious crimes revolve around coercion, grooming, and profit/exploitation, not just age
• Prostitution laws vary widely across Europe, but exploitation is illegal everywhere

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