Consent means free and voluntary agreement to sexual activity. 

Consent does not mean agreeing to a sexual activity if there is force or if there is a threat. A threat may be said or implied by someone’s behaviour. 

There are some situations where a person cannot consent. This can include if a person is asleep or unconscious, or if they are intoxicated to the point of being incapable of freely and voluntarily agreeing to the activity. 

A person under the age of 17 is unable to consent to a sexual activity. 

Even when consent is given, it can also be withdrawn at any time. Once it is, the activity must stop immediately.  

If you are unsure whether you consented to a sexual activity or if you may have been unable to consent to a sexual activity, you can contact us for advice.  

Being touched in a sexual manner without your consent is called indecent assault.  

Indecent assault can happen on any part of the body, either under or over clothing. 

It can still be indecent assault even if there is no physical injury or obvious force involved.  

If someone under the age of 17 is being touched in a sexual way, there can never be consent.

Sometimes a person isn’t capable of consenting to sexual activity because they are unable to do so. 

This can include when a person is intoxicated (under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other substances) to the point of being unable to freely and voluntarily agree to the activity. 

There are other circumstances where a person is unable to give consent, including when a person is asleep or unconscious. 

You can contact us for advice if you’re unsure whether you consented or were able to consent. 

Any sexual activity that occurs without your free and voluntary consent is a sexual offence.  

If that activity is sexual intercourse, then it is rape.  

Rape can occur between people who know each other, even people who are in a relationship. 

If you have not agreed, if you have withdrawn your consent, or if the other person is forcing you or threatening you, then it is rape – a serious criminal offence. 

If you said no, or felt uncomfortable, pressured, scared, or unsure but went along anyway, that is not consent.

Someone taking, sharing or threatening to share intimate images of you without your consent is called image-based abuse.  

An intimate image is an image that depicts someone engaged in a private act or in a state of undress. It also includes deepfakes, where images or videos are digitally altered or created using artificial intelligence to make it look like someone is in a sexual, nude, or humiliating situation when they are not. 

An intimate image may be shared by sending a text message, posting it online, or making it available for access by another person. 

It is an offence to share, or threaten to share, an intimate image of another person knowing they do not consent. A person under the age of 17 cannot legally consent.