To be fair to RO, I think he plays devils advocate very well. I may not agree with him all of the time but there is generally a logic and reason to what he says and I don't think he should be dismissed simply on the basis that he may or may not be a WT apologist.
He is right that there are grey areas but it is for the authorities to determine how they sort this out. It is true that it is possible for a teenager at 15 to be convicted under sex offences laws for consensual acts with another 15 yo however this is where the prosecuting agencies come in. Here in the UK it is the DPP that determines if a prosecution is in the public interest and it would be rare for an individual 15 YO to be criminalised for sexual activity for another 15 yo. A 15 YO and a 10 YO might be viewed differently. I know a case of a 16 YO and a 12 YO where the 16 YO was reported by his parents for some activity with the younger child and cautioned by the police.
In all of this, there are guidelines for organisations to help them do the best they can however it seems that the WTS tries to go it alone every time.
I don't see why the WT cannot go down a path of reporting an allegation of activity and let the authorities take the burden of responsibility. If there was a clear, publicly available policy then everyone would know where they stand. If two young people knew that their sexual activity would result in them being reported to the authorities then so be it. Other organisations make that call.
Let the secular authorities do their job and let the elders and WTS do their thing without having to worry about making calls outside of their responsibilities.
