Protesters gather at a rally to call for revision of an anti-rape law in Tokyo, Japan on June 2019. REUTERS

Japanese Justice Ministry to raise age of consent

After multiple rape acquittals in 2019, the Japanese Justice Ministry has proposed raising the age of consent from 13 to 16 years old. According to the ministry, the proposal takes part in realigning Japan's laws on sex crimes, which aims to criminalize the grooming of minors and expand the definition of rape. The ministry also aims to increase the statute of limitations for reporting rape from 10 to 15 years. In Japan's current law on sex crimes, victims of rape need to prove there was "violence and intimidation" used during the incident and that it was "impossible to resist" to secure a conviction. The ministry did not modify the terms; instead added other factors, including intoxication, drugging, being caught off guard, and psychological control. " is not meant to make it easier or harder for victims to win a rape case, but it should make verdicts more consistent," said Yusuke Asanuma, a Justice Ministry official. The re-examination of sex crime laws comes after significant protests in 2019 in response to a series of rape acquittals. In 2019, a man went free after being accused of having sex with his teenage daughter, even though the court agreed it was against her will. He was sent to jail after the prosecutors appealed. Another case included a man who was found not guilty of raping a woman who had passed out from drinking because he "misunderstood" her permission to have sex. According to the ministry, despite the potential change in the age of consent, an exception will still exist for intercourse between people who are at least 13 years old and have an age gap of less than five years. The ministry could pass the law as early as summer. RZSP/Expat Media
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