‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause exempts consensual teenage relationships from child abuse reporting in England

Harriet Cross, the Tory MP for Gordon and Buchan, said the exemption was ‘not about condoning underage sex; it is about proportionality’. Photograph: House of Commons

Teachers will not have to inform on sexually active teenagers under a new legal duty to report child abuse after a novel “Romeo and Juliet” exemption received cross-party support.

A new crime and policing bill obliges professionals in England, including teachers and healthworkers, to report suspicions of child sexual abuse to the police or local authority in an attempt by the government to prevent cover-ups.