Activists trying to change Philippine law that allows sexual consent to pre-teens
Image Credit: CNN/getty images
In the Philippines, child sexual abuse is common, according to activists, and is exacerbated by the country's statute limiting the age at which females may legally agree to sex to 12 years old. It is the world's youngest age of consent. Critics argue that the legislation protects predators since they may claim permission from their victims and that minors as young as 12 can be forced or frightened into silence.