Child protection law to increase minimum ages of consent

This week, the Spanish government approved its new Childhood and Adolescence Strategic Plan 2013-2016, which will cover ways of protecting the underaged.

It will include methods of safeguarding children in domestic violence cases in a bid to prevent them from becoming direct or indirect victims, a move sparked by the death of a six-year-old girl thought to have been killed by her father in Málaga, who hanged himself immediately afterwards, when he was charged with violence towards his ex-wife and mother of his young daughter.

The four-year plan includes 125 points and will involve amending the Civil Code and the Domestic Violence Law.

One of the earliest steps that will be taken, according to health minister Ana Mato (pictured), is to raise the minimum age at which a person can legally marry to 16.

It is currently 18, but young people who have left home already or who have their parents' consent can marry at 14 – although they will soon be unable to do so until age 16, says Mato.

The minimum age at which a young person can consent to sexual relations will also go up, but the exact age has not yet been decided and the government will seek a 'consensus'.

At present, a child aged 13 or over can legally have sex, even with an adult over 18, although if the minor then claims he or she did not consent and there is no proof that they did, the adult can face paedophilia charges.

Spain finally agreed to increase this age after a 13-year-old girl was shot dead in the street by her 39-year-old boyfriend, who then shot himself in the head when surrounded by police.

The girl's mother had reported the boyfriend to the police when her daughter was 12, since the family did not approve of the relationship, but they did not act in time and once she turned 13, claimed there was nothing they could do.

Other measures to be included in the Strategic Plan include support for families facing poverty, protection against cyber-bullying, online grooming and child pornography, and allowing babies and children under three to be adopted immediately rather than having to spend a set period of time in a care home before a family is found.