[Age of Ignorance]

Statutory rape (or sexual assault) only occurs if you do anything remotely sexual with her. It does not apply to romantic relationships.

Does your family know about your relationship? What about her family? Do they all accept it, and have there ever been any issues? Does your school know? Does anyone at school take issue with your relationship? Are you at the same school or separate school? In practice, even if you were to have sexual contact, the authorities would need to be notified before any investigation and/or charges were laid down. So, if everyone is okay with your relationship, then you have nothing to worry about. That is not to say that things can't go wrong, and you should think this through thoroughly, and take legal advice from a legal service (generally, most communities have free consultations/advice sessions - you may wish to search for that yourself).

Additionally, from my understanding, because the age of consent is 18 in your jurisdiction, no matter what, if you were to have any sexual contact with her before she turns 18, it would be considered sexual assault (since you fall outside the 2-year rule). You should discuss this heavily with your parents and your girlfriend before making any decisions going forward. Your parents can provide valuable insight, and a great support network, and your girlfriend is obviously the other person effected by this, and should be consulted every step of the way.

Of course, I can't make the decision for you, but I understand the situation you're in. When I was 19, my girlfriend was 15. The statutory age of consent in my jurisdiction is 16, so I waited. It can be tough, but if it's meant to be, it doesn't need to cause a separation.