Jakarta –
Japan’s justice ministry has proposed that the legal age for sexual intercourse be raised from 13 to 16. This effort was made to eradicate perpetrators of sexual crimes. The Japanese government plans to pass the law in early summer.
Yusuke Asanuma who is a Ministry of Justice official said the effort was “not intended to make it easier or harder” for victims to win rape cases, but to make the results of decisions more consistent.
Why Japan Changes Legal Sex After a Century
This age change comes after there has been a lot of criticism and reaction to Japanese laws which are considered to be insufficient to protect children from rape or other sexual crimes. This age limit has been in effect since 1907 or 116 years.
Thousands of people from various cities across Japan took to the streets to demand reform of the law. This pressure is due to the rise of sex predators who attack minors.
What Is Legal Age?
The legal age is when a person can legally engage in sexual activity in the eyes of the law. The purpose of implementing this legal age is to protect adolescents and young adults from harassment and the consequences of having sexual activity against their rights and development according to the United Nations (UN).
If an adult has sexual intercourse with a person under the legal age stipulated without consent, it is considered a crime. Meanwhile, if sexual activity is approved by both parties it will be considered as harassment. Underage people are considered incapable of consenting to sexual decisions.
Countries with the Lowest Legal Age
Japan is the country with the lowest legal age of sex. Apart from Japan, it turns out that there are also other countries where the age of having sex is legal is quite low. Here’s the list.
- Portugal – 14 years
- Germany – 14 years
- Mexico – 14 years (in some cities)
- China – 14 years
- Thailand – 15 years
- France – 15 years
NEXT: How was the law of having sex in Japan before?
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