Our Government is continuing to progress the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse with the tabling of the Justice Miscellaneous (Royal Commission Amendments) Bill 2022 in Parliament today.
The Bill amends several Acts relating to the prosecution of sexual offences, providing better access to justice for those affected by sexual violence, while holding people to account for failing to protect our children and better reflecting the nature of offending perpetrated by those in positions of authority.
Importantly, the Bill creates new crimes for people in positions of authority, including specific crimes where a person in a position of authority sexually abuses a child and where a person in authority ‘fails to protect’ a child from a substantial risk of sexual abuse.
The Bill also:
This Bill is the latest step we will take to better protect children and young people in Tasmania, with more significant work to follow.
In developing this legislation, I wish to thank all victim-survivors who shared their stories with the Royal Commission and also the recent Commission of Inquiry, including family members, loved ones, and those no longer with us.
Our Government is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our children and young people, and while there is still much to do, we will continue to do all we can to ensure this occurs.