Check the ages, not the combination of genders.
In the first three answers, both people are at least 18. The examples name a different-sex couple, two men and two women. None of those combinations is prohibited in itself.
In the fourth example, Anne is only 13. Section 176 of the Criminal Code protects children under 14 against sexual acts; sexual acts by a 25-year-old with a 13-year-old child fall within that protection. This is the legal issue addressed by the simplified question.
The other three answers
The three other examples name adults.
Hans (20 years) and Marie (19 years)
Hans at 20 and Marie at 19 are both adults. The ages and genders stated in the example do not establish a prohibition on living together as a couple.
Tom (20 years) and Klaus (45 years)
Tom at 20 and Klaus at 45 are both adults. Neither being a same-sex couple nor the age gap alone prohibits their relationship.
Sofie (35 years) and Lisa (40 years)
Sofie at 35 and Lisa at 40 are both adults. Two adult women may live together as a couple; their genders are not a reason for prohibition.
The exam wording does not fully describe a criminal offence.
Sharing an address or simply being described as a “couple” does not by itself establish a particular criminal offence. Section 176 concerns sexual acts and the protection of children. The exam answer remains unchanged, but the guide must not turn it into a blanket prohibition on sharing a home.
Legal adulthood begins at 18, while section 176 protects children under 14. Adolescents have further protections, including section 182. This creates neither a single age threshold for every legal question nor a blanket prohibition on every relationship involving a minor.
Protection of children · section 176 · Criminal Code ↗The expected answer: 13 and 25 — child protection is decisive.
Compare the ages in all four options while keeping the brief exam answer distinct from its precise legal explanation.
Three words for this question
- volljähriglegally an adult
- Aged at least 18 in Germany.
- der Kinderschutzchild protection
- Rules and measures protecting children against danger and abuse.
- gleichgeschlechtlichsame-sex
- For a couple: both people are of the same sex.