The law signed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte raising the age of sexual consent to 16 was made public today. By modifying an almost 100-year-old law, the country has cracked down on the risks of abuse for young people. In the Philippines, the age for sexual consent was among the lowest in the world, in fact adults were allowed to have sex even with 12-year-old children, if they agreed. From now on, however, sex with a person under the age of 16 will be illegal and will result in a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Exceptions are provided for adolescent couples as long as their age difference does not exceed three years and the sex is consensual.
"Having this law is a great tool for protecting our children from sexual violence, whether or not it starts online or even starts in a face-to-face meeting," said Margarita Ardivilla, UN protection specialist. of childhood.
According to a 2015 government-backed national study, one in five children between the ages of 13 and 17 have experienced sexual violence, while one in 25 was raped in childhood, UNICEF said.
(Unioneonline / ss)
