Elise Archer,Attorney-General
Minister for Justice
Sexual offences against children are heinous and abhorrent, and the community rightfully expects that anyone who commits serious sexual offences against children and young people should face guaranteed jail time.
Today, I am tabling legislation that introduces minimum mandatory sentences for these appalling crimes, and the time has come for Labor to reverse their long-standing ideological opposition and back this important reform.
We have taken this policy to three separate State elections, and have received a strong mandate each time.
Guaranteed prison time for child sex offenders should be law right now – but Labor has used their numbers in the Legislative Council to block it time and time again.
This is simply not good enough. Now more than ever, Labor must listen to victim-survivors who have been calling for this for years.
Our Bill will guarantee at least:
- 4 years’ imprisonment for the crime of rape where a victim is under 17 years at the time of the offence;
- 4 years’ imprisonment for the crime of persistent sexual abuse of a child or young person where at least one of the unlawful sexual acts is an offence of rape;
- 3 years’ imprisonment for the crime of persistent sexual abuse of a child or young person where there are circumstances of aggravation and none of the unlawful sexual acts is an offence of rape; and
- 2 years’ imprisonment for the crime of penetrative sexual abuse of a child or young person where there are circumstances of aggravation.
Even Federal Labor, including the now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has previously agreed to guarantee prison time for child sex offenders under Federal legislation.
If not now, then when?
Rebecca White must today support victim-survivors and the community, and reverse her opposition to this policy – and stop her pointless diversion tactic of introducing a faux maximum sentence, which totally fails to guarantee prison time and would do nothing to protect our children.
