Society

Japan Reports 60% Rise in Non-Consensual Intercourse Cases

TOKYO, Dec 20 (News On Japan) - Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

According to the white paper, there were 703,351 recognized cases of penal code offenses last year, a 17% increase compared to the previous year, marking a rise for the second year in a row.

Among these, recognized cases of non-consensual intercourse surged by 63.8% from the previous year to 2,711 cases, while non-consensual indecency increased by 29.5% to 6,096 cases.

The increase is attributed to the enforcement of the revised penal code in July last year, which redefined "forced intercourse" as "non-consensual intercourse" and broadened its legal criteria. Efforts to create a more supportive environment for reporting sexual offenses are also considered contributing factors.

Additionally, cases of special fraud rose for the third consecutive year.

Source: ANN

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