- 14 Mar 2002
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Yesterday, Japan's House of Councillors unanimously enacted laws to criminalise non-consensual sexual acts, even without physical violence or coercion, and to raise the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 to protect children from abuse.
The revised laws also criminalise sex with children under 16, raising the legal age of consent from 13, which had remained unchanged for over a century and was one of the lowest among developed nations. While the changes will make sexual intercourse with a person under 16 illegal regardless of consent, an exception will be made for cases in which an individual aged 13 to 15 has consensual intercourse with a person less than five years older than them. The statute of limitations for prosecution of non-consensual intercourse will be extended from 10 to 15 years.
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The revised laws also criminalise sex with children under 16, raising the legal age of consent from 13, which had remained unchanged for over a century and was one of the lowest among developed nations. While the changes will make sexual intercourse with a person under 16 illegal regardless of consent, an exception will be made for cases in which an individual aged 13 to 15 has consensual intercourse with a person less than five years older than them. The statute of limitations for prosecution of non-consensual intercourse will be extended from 10 to 15 years.
Japan enacts laws to reform sex offense charges, raise age of consent
Japan's parliament on June 16 enacted laws to criminalize nonconsensual sexual acts even in the absence of physical violence or coercion, and to raise the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 to protect children from abuse.
Japan raises age of consent from 13 to 16 in reform of sex crimes law
Changes include the criminalisation of voyeurism and follow a string of acquittals in rape cases that triggered protests nationwide
