Age of consent set to rise

SPAIN could raise the age of consent from 13 to 15 with a debate expected in the Spanish parliament in the next few days.

The country currently has the second lowest age of consent in Europe, with only the Vatican being lower with an age of consent of 12.

The Spanish proposal to raise the age at which people can legally engage in sexual relations is a bid to limit child sex abuse in the country. According to Spanish press reports the proposed measure depends on approval from the ministries of Health and Justice.

Under the new proposal, anyone engaging in sexual activity with a person under the age of 15 could face child sex abuse charges. In 2013, Spain raised the legal age for marriage from 14 to 16.