New law bans German teens from kissing in public

The German Government are having a last-minute rethink about introducing new legislation which could make teenage snogging a criminal offence.

Under the new law, which was to be brought in tomorrow, the age at which sex offenders can be prosecuted will fall to 14, while the cut-off point for legal protection in cases of alleged abuse will rise to 18. Designed to prevent child prostitution and tackle the problem of criminals using teenage pimps to recruit amongst their contemporaries, the proposed law has drawn opposition from politicians, lawyers and medical professionals.

One problem is that adults - parents included - will be put under an obligation to report illegal behaviour to the police. However, experts are complaining that the definitions of what is acceptable and unacceptable are unclear.

Any comment which implies one teen is pressuring another into sexual contact or offering a reward is deemed illegal but Jerzy Montag, a Green Party MP and leading critic of the legislation, says normal behaviour, such as offering to pay for the cinema tickets in exchange for a snog, will be outlawed.

Teens who photograph their friends kissing, or in revealing clothes such as bikinis, and then 'publish' the images by posting them on social networking sites or emailing them to multiple recipients may also be laying themselves open to prosecution.

Pressure is growing for the Government to drop the amendments, which experts warn will lead to 'pointless investigations and court cases' if they become law in 2008.

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