A Romeo and Juliet law is designed to prevent young people from being punished for consensual sexual activity with someone close to their own age. The goal of age of consent laws is to protect children from adults, not to criminalize peers who are at similar developmental stages.
In Connecticut, this is called a Close-in-Age Exemption. It allows young people who are close in age to engage in consensual sexual activity without facing criminal charges. While the behavior may not always be developmentally appropriate, these laws recognize that it does not make sense to treat teens in peer relationships as criminals or subject them to severe legal consequences.