Andorra Raises Sexual Consent Age to 16, Toughens Child Exploitation and Corruption Penalties

Andorra's Parliament unanimously approved Penal Code amendments on Wednesday, raising the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 and imposing tougher penalties for online child exploitation, while also strengthening measures against private-sector corruption.

Justice and Interior Minister Ester Molné presented the qualified laws, which bring national standards in line with international norms and tackle new threats. Key changes include narrowing the proximity rule for adolescent relationships to a three-year age gap, from five years previously. Sentences for acquiring child pornography online, including AI-generated material, now equal those for prostitution. The reforms extend corporate liability for crimes, streamline asset seizures in corruption proceedings, and enhance support for trafficking victims.

Parliamentary discussion stayed brief. Concòrdia co-president Núria Segués noted overlaps with her party's prior suggestions. Molné pointed out that the approved text went further than both the government's original proposal and Concòrdia's version.

Lawmakers also approved prison rule updates by acclamation, prioritising rehabilitation and inmate safeguards. Changes ban phone limits as discipline, restrict isolation for minors, and require medical and judicial approval for forced treatments. Provisional detention is now limited to nine months for minor offences and 21 months for serious ones, eliminating public safety as a pretrial factor. Low-risk inmates can use video and phone access. Semiliberty starts after half the sentence, down from two-thirds, and full parole after three-quarters, instead of five-sixths. Public employment schemes will aid parolees facing work barriers, with mixed-gender therapy and activities permitted.

Molné called the changes a step forward in modernising the prison system. Representatives from PS and Concòrdia welcomed the consensus. The votes wrapped up the session ahead of summer recess, with work resuming in September.

Statistics from the Statistics Department show La Comella Penitentiary held 55 inmates as of 31 March 2026, representing 35.9% occupancy of its 153 places. Men accounted for 94.5% (52), women 5.5% (3). By nationality, individuals from other countries numbered 23 (41.8%), Spaniards 13 (23.6%), Andorrans 12, and Portuguese 7. Drug-related offences—consumption, trafficking, or possession—were most common, with 12 cases, alongside thefts and assaults, and offences against sexual liberty or pornography, each at seven. Other incidents included four contraband cases and four for injuries or mistreatment. The quarter saw 27 admissions: 25 men and two women, mostly aged 21-35 (13, or 48.1%) or over 35 (12, or 44.4%), with two aged 18-20 and none under 18. Nineteen convictions were recorded, 18 for men and one for a woman; 13 (68.4%) remained active, while six (31.6%) had ended. Sentences of one to three months were most prevalent, at 11 cases (57.9%).