Section 222C

Notwithstanding anything contained in sections 220, 221 and 222, it shall only be a defence to a charge of any of the offences defined in section 219, paragraph (1) of section 221 and section 222 to prove that the accused person believed, on reasonable grounds, that the girl was of or above the age of sixteen years if the accused person was under the age of twenty-one years at the time when the offence is alleged to have been committed and has not previously been charged with any of such offences.