A panel in Japan’s Ministry of Justice has proposed raising the age of consent from the current 13 to 16, as part of reforming the sexual offenses law. The age limit of 13, which has not been changed since 1907, prevents sexual intercourse with girls from being legally considered rape.
A panel in Japan’s Ministry of Justice has proposed raising the age of consent from the current 13 to 16, as part of reforming the sexual offenses law.
In the country with the lowest age of consent in the world, the sexual crimes reform package is also planned to clarify the conditions for the prosecution of rape and to criminalize voyeurism.
The recommendations submitted to the Ministry of Justice followed acquittals in a number of rape cases that sparked a backlash. The proposals will form the basis for draft amendments that can be enacted by parliament during the year.
According to the news in euronews, in practice in Japan, the age of consent is accepted as 18 in many regions. But Kazuna Kanajiri, an activist against pornography and sexual exploitation, stated that these regional laws provide for much lighter sentences than the crime of rape, and that it “totally ignores the coercive nature” by considering sex with children only as “immoral” behavior.
Welcoming the proposal to raise the age of consent to 16, Kanajiri added that this allows perpetrators to “put the blame on the victims and claim that sexual intercourse was initiated or enjoyed by children”.
