..
Japan re-defines rape, raises age of consent from 13 to 16
By Doug Cunningham
File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
June 16 (UPI) -- Japan's parliament on Friday enacted new laws changing the definition of rape and raising the age of consent.
The changes were unanimously passed into law by Japan's House of Councillors after being approved by the House of Representatives.
The primary revisions define rape as "non-consensual sexual intercourse" removing a previous requirement stating that rape must include physical force.
Under the new law, "upskirting" and other acts involving taking sexualized images without their consent will be criminalized along with sexual acts under circumstances where a person may find it difficult to "form, express or fulfill the intention to resist."
The revisions also make sexual intercourse with a person under 16 illegal regardless of consent, but an exception is made for people between the ages of 13 and 15 who have consensual sex with people less than five years older.
Japan's 13-year-old age of consent had existed for more than a century.
During a press conference after the new law was passed, sexual assault victims attorney Kazuko Ito called it a big step forward.
"It is highly significant that the victims who have been excluded from justice are now within the scope of legal remedies and punishments," Ito said.
The new law extends the statute of limitations for non-consensual intercourse to 15 years and non-consensual now includes situations where the victim is under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if the perpetrator abuses their economic or social power to attack the victim.
15 years is not nearly long enough, but it's a start.
The changes also include making crimes of taking images of genitalia, breasts or buttocks without consent.
No comments:
Post a Comment