 "Japan raises age of consent to 16, criminalises voyeurism under new reforms")
Japan raised its age of consent from 13 to 16 years on Friday. This was done as a part of reforms to sex crime legislation by lawmakers.
Along with raising the age of consent, the reforms also clarifies rape prosecution requirements and criminalises voyeurism, according to media reports.
Japan was one of the few countries with the lowest age of consent of just 13 years. Human rights campaigners have hailed these reforms which were passed by the upper house of the Japanese parliament in a unanimous vote.
The age of consent is the age below which the act of sex is considered rape as children/adolescents below this age are considered incapable of giving consent for sex or any sexual activity.
The age of consent in India is 18, in China its 14 and in Britain it is 16. Nigeria has the lowest age of consent at 11 years, followed by Angola at 12 years.
In Japan, the age of consent has remained at 13 years since 1907.
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The reforms however make an exception for teen couples with no more than five years of age gap from prosecution, given that both the partners are above 13 years of age.
In 2017, Japan made a few reforms to the criminal code on sexual offenses. However, they were widely deemed insufficient by campaigners. The island nation also saw nationwide rallies in 2019 demanding stricter laws.
The bill also criminalises intimidation, seduction, or money to coerce children under 16 years of age to meet for sexual purposes. It also provided for a prison sentence of up to a year or a fine of 500,000 yen ($3,500).
The previous law was especially criticised for a contentious provision that required the prosecutors to prove victims were incapacitated due to violence or intimidation.
The new reforms passed on Friday also make provision for establishing rape on the grounds of victims under the influence of alcohol or drugs and being intimidated due to factors like the social status of the perpetrator or any other reason.
The Bill also criminalises voyeurism, which earlier had only been regulated by regional ordinances.
Under the new reforms, a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to three million yen will be imposed for secretly filming private body parts, underwear, or indecent acts without a justifiable reason.