The rules/laws designed to protect minors assume a minor is too immature to understand the bad intentions of adults towards them nor mature enough to understand, or appreciate, the long term life-changing ramifications of their own actions. From that it is assumed that proper (mature acknowledgment) consent is not really possible for juveniles and therefore their own acquiesense in intercourse with an adult is not considered as consensual under the law.
If that’s the case, MOST people probably would find their ‘age of consent’ nearer to the mandatory retirement schedules.