Edition 112
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Friday, April 12, 2013
NO MORE SEX AT 13 – BY LAW And brides must be 16 in war on abuse
SPAIN is to raise the By SALLY BENGTSSON minimum age for marPrime Minister Mariano exploitation, to be funded riage from 14 to 16 as Rajoy's right leaning govern- with a budget estimated at part of broad plan of ment announced the 5.2 billion euros over the next reforms to protect four years. changes after last Friday’s youngsters. Spanish legislation allows Consultations are also to be held about increasing the age for consent for sex from 13 in a bid to combat child abuse.
weekly cabinet meeting. The reforms are part of a broad plan approved by the government to protect children from abuse and
Ana Mato: Stepping up the fight against paedophilia
more effectively against paedophilia.’’ The Spanish office of the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, hailed the reforms. "We welcome the measures that raise the age of marriage a child to enter into marriage and the revision to the age of with special permission, as sexual consent," said Gabriel young as 14. Defenders of Gonzalez-Bueno, head of children's rights fear that at childhood policy at UNICEF such a young age some Spain. He also praised a minors, even if only a small decision to include a report number, may be forced into on the impact on children of unions. all planned legislation and "Although the age to enter regulations, a measure for into marriage in our country is 18, the law does allow in which he said UNICEF Spain certain circumstances for had long campaigned. In line with the recommenmarriage at 14. We are going dations of the UN's to raise that age to 16," Social Services Minister Ana Committee on the Rights of Mato told a news confer- the Child, the Spanish government also revised the ence. "We also propose to raise drinking age to 18 across the the age of sexual consent, country. In most Spanish which is now 13, the lowest regions the minimum age for among countries in our consumption of alcohol was region, so as to avoid adults already 18 but in the northern abusing minors and to fight region of Asturias it is just 16.
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