129-Year Sentence... Philippine Court's Harsh Judgment on Australian Man for Child Sexual Crime

Expert Criticism Leads to Legal Amendments as Area Becomes Known for Child Sexual Exploitation
Philippines Strengthens Minor Sexual Protection... Punishment for Relations with Under 16-Year-Olds

Inside a prison in the Philippines. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by EPA, Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A Philippine court sentenced an Australian man to a staggering 129 years in prison for child sex crimes including human trafficking.

On the 9th (local time), AFP reported that the court in the Cagayan de Oro region on the northern coast of Mindanao Island sentenced the man to 129 years on the 3rd. The man was charged along with three others, including his girlfriend who participated in the crimes, on 40 counts including human trafficking, child pornography, and rape. His girlfriend was sentenced to 126 years, and the other two received sentences of over 9 years. A local prosecutor in Cagayan de Oro said, "We hope this ruling serves as a strong warning to all child sex offenders and human traffickers."

Meanwhile, there have been ongoing criticisms that the age of consent in the Philippines is too low, exposing children to a high frequency of sex crimes. AFP also reported experts' observations that the Philippines has become an international hotspot for child sexual exploitation due to poverty, English proficiency, and internet accessibility.

As the issue of child sex crimes came under scrutiny in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a bill in March to raise the age of consent to 16 to protect minors from sexual violence, taking strong measures. Before this bill, according to UNICEF, the legal age of consent in the Philippines was 12. The country with the lowest legal age of consent worldwide is Nigeria, where consensual sex is allowed from age 11.

According to a 2015 study conducted by UNICEF and the local NGO Women’s Resource Center, 7 out of 10 victims of sexual assault were children. Additionally, 1 in 5 respondents aged 13 to 17 reported experiencing sexual violence.

Once this law is enforced in the Philippines, having sexual relations with anyone under 16 will be legally considered rape. However, if the age difference is 3 years or less and the sexual activity was consensual and non-abusive, punishment may be avoided. Nevertheless, sexual relations with anyone under 13 will always be subject to criminal prosecution.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.