I already went to the trouble so here it is. These are some relevant excerpts from the French Penal Code, which defines these things:
Code Pénal Article 227-15
In France the Age of Consent to sexual intercourse is 15 years and sexual assault on a minor person illegal and punishable.
Legislation on Age of Consent to sexual intercourse
Article 227-25 of the French Penal Code: The commission, without violence, constraint, threat or surprise of a sexual assault on a minor person under 15 years of age is punishable by five years’ imprisonment and a 75,000 Euro fine.
See also Article 388 of the French Civil Code: A minor is an individual of either sex who has not yet reached the full age of 18 years.
Definition of statutory rape
France does have a definition for statutory rape and the penal code has provision for both a prison term as well as a fine.
Legislation and policy framework on statutory rape
Article 227-25 of the Penal Code: The fact, for an adult, to exercise without violence, coercion, threat or surprise a sexual assault on the person of a minor under 15 years of age is punishable by five years imprisonment and a 75,000 Euro fine.
See also Article 388 of the French Civil Code: A minor is an individual of either sex who has not yet reached the full age of 18 years.
In France, Article 227-25 of the Penal Code [1] establishes the sexual majority (age from which a minor can maintain a sexual relationship with an adult, without this adult committing a criminal offense) in principle to 15 years for heterosexual and homosexual relationships.
"The fact, by a major, to exercise without violence, coercion, threat or surprise sexual assault on the person of a minor of fifteen years" (in law, "minor of fifteen years" means "individual under fifteen years ") constitutes an offense, while any sexual offense, regardless of the age of the victim, committed with violence, coercion or surprise constitutes a" sexual assault ". The age limit is raised from 15 to 18 years in the case of relations between a minor and an ascendant or any person having authority by nature or by his function.
The French case law seldom holds the qualification of surprise, by motivating on the vague term of surprise to make the point that a child not knowing adult sexuality can not consent to the relation, and is thus necessarily "surprised" within the meaning of the text, even when appearances suggest the opposite. However, it may be used for teenage victims over 12 or 13 years of age. In France, Article 227-25 of the Penal Code [1] sets the age of sexual consent in principle at 15 years for heterosexual and homosexual relations. "The fact, by a major, to exercise without violence, coercion, threat or surprise sexual assault on the person of a minor of fifteen" constitutes an offense (in law, "minor of fifteen years" means "individual of less than fifteen years old "). He is "punished by five (5) years imprisonment and a 75,000 euro fine," while any sexual assault, regardless of the age of the victim, committed with violence, coercion or surprise constitutes an "assault sexual abuse "). The age limit of consent is raised from 15 to 18 years in the case of relations between a minor and an ascendant or any person having authority by nature or by his function. This is an aggravating circumstance. The prison sentence was raised from two to five years in the latter case (parliamentary session of April 27, 2009). Unlawful sexual intercourse is called sexual assault and rape when penetration occurs. It is more severely punished when it is performed on a sexually minor person.
Sexual consent is therefore deemed valid at age 15 (for a relationship with an adult of any age), although the recent recast of the Penal Code no longer asserts the general right to sexuality from the age of 15 as a positive right .
There is no prohibition on sexual intercourse between individuals under the age of 18, whether one is under 15 or not, provided that there is mutual consent [2]. However, parental authority exercising, parents can control the sexual relations of their child or prohibit them, prohibiting him to reside outside the family home [ref. necessary], to take educational measures which they consider necessary, according to what they consider appropriate for the education and the development of their child. Moreover for a child too young, it is difficult to ensure consent. If one of the two minors is significantly older than the other, the fact will be judged as sexual abuse of minor, or even sexual assault on a minor, the non-consent being motivated by the "surprise"
Except in the case of rape or any other sexual assault, the fact, by a major, of exerting a sexual assault on a minor of fifteen years is punished of seven years of imprisonment and 100 000 € of fine.