Sex between children as young as 12 will be allowed under a New Zealand law amendment, arousing criticisms from the opposition party and educators, according to Sunday Star-Times Sunday.

The Crimes Amendment (No 2) Bill, which passed its first reading in Parliament in March and is now before the law and order select committee, updates laws regarding sex crimes that were passed in 1961.

The new law would allow a girl as young as 12, and a boy aged 12-14, to have sex with impunity.

The change would give New Zealand the dubious reputation of having the most liberal stance on sex in the developed world. Most western countries set the age of consent at 16, except France where it is 15.

Critics say the new law would send the wrong message to children, with New Zealand already ranked third in the world for teenage pregnancies.

They don't accept 12-year-olds are capable of understanding the consequences of sexual experimentation.

Opposition National Party MP and committee member Tony Ryall said the new clause should be scrapped and accused the government of being out of touch.

"The law is clear and simple, sex under 16 is wrong. This is state-sanctioned promiscuity," he said.

Fraser High School Principal Martin Elliott was quoted as saying he was flabbergasted at the "absolutely bloody bizarre" idea of younger sex.

"Is it any wonder that our young people are so dysfunctional and damaged when they have to deal in a world where adults are making such crazy rules and laws," he said.

But Justice Minister Phil Goff was unrepentant, saying the situation risked turning teenagers into criminals and must be changed.

"We're not condoning sex under 16 but we're saying we recognizeit's a reality.

"If we were fastidious about prosecuting we'd be locking up thousands of teenagers and I don't think anybody in society would say that's a good response to the problem."

Goff said teenagers' consensual sexual experimentation should not be a crime. Police were currently "turning a blind eye" to such actions.

Source: Xinhua