9.8 C
London
Friday, March 29, 2024

Japan wants to overhaul its sex crime laws by raising the age of consent from 13 to 16

Date:

Related stories

WHO hosts the first forum on traditional medicine

The World Health Organization will convene its first summit...

Despite profit-taking, the price of oil still records a weekly rise

As the dollar rose and oil speculators took profits...

Kenya bans churches after allegations of killing worshipers who were starved

According to a government document made public on Friday,...

The Japanese Justice Ministry panel has suggested raising the consent age from 13 to 16.

It is a part of a larger revision to Japan’s sex crime laws following a wave of rape acquittals in 2019.

Additionally, the proposal seeks to define rape broadly and criminalize the grooming of minors.

The reporting deadline for rape will also be extended, going from 10 to 15 years.

Japan currently has the lowest legal consent age among developed nations and the G7.

The legal drinking age is 14 in Germany and Italy, 15 in Greece and France, 16 in the UK, and many US states.

According to Japan’s current legal system, rape victims must demonstrate that “violence and intimidation” were used during the rape and that it was “impossible to resist” in order to be found guilty.

Read Also  Nigeria experiences a fuel shortage due to the removal of subsidies

Instead of changing this wording, the panel expanded the definition by including additional elements like intoxication, drug use, being caught off guard, and psychological control.

Yusuke Asanuma, an official with the Justice Ministry, stated that this “isn’t meant to make it easier or harder” for victims to win a rape case but rather that it should make verdicts “more consistent.”

The review of the sex crime laws follows significant protests in 2019 in response to a number of acquittals. In one instance, a man who was accused of having sex with his teenage daughter was exonerated, despite the fact that the court found that it was done against her will. Later, after the prosecution filed an appeal, he was jailed.

Read Also  South Korea increases security to avoid imitation stabbings

Another witnessed a man being acquitted of raping a woman who was intoxicated and passed out because he “misunderstood” that she had given consent to having sex.

The law might be enacted by the government as early as the summer. There will still be an exception for sexual activity between individuals who are at least 13 and have an age difference of less than five years, despite the potential change to the age of consent.

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive awesome & exclusive content in your inbox, every week.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

InsiderBLM Asia
InsiderBLM Asiahttp://insiderblm.com
InsiderBLM Asia shares deep financial, media, tech, and other industry verticals happening in Asia.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Latest stories