[Latty]

I contributed to plenty of open source projects as a minor, interacting with maintainers and other people in the communities around them.

Grooming and abuse is a real problem. If Stallman thinks it can be justified to sleep with a child if consent is given, then he wouldn't act to defend a child in that situation if they were being preyed upon unless it was clear to him it was abuse.

That's not good enough. There should be no wiggle room because abusers can abuse that. That's why these laws exist, and that is the standard we should hold projects to, to allow children to safely contribute.

[jaywalk]

Why would Stallman, personally, be in a position where he's the only one who can defend a child in that situation? Your hypothetical doesn't make any sense.

[Latty]

The "only one"? It doesn't matter if other people might do the right thing, if he doesn't, he shouldn't hold the position.

If someone reads this, it makes them think they won't be taken seriously when they come forward if they are abused. That both makes them less likely to do so if they are abused, and less likely to even start engaging with the community.

If they do come forward, Stallman has indicated he may not take them seriously. Given that he's arguing about this with others in leadership positions, even more than that he might pressure others to do so as well.

Everyone in one of those positions should be taking such an allegation seriously, and if they don't, they shouldn't hold that position.