Federal Government moves to close child bride loophole
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- Category: Uncategorised
- Created: Wednesday, 24 July 2019 22:57
- Written by Renee Viellaris - The Courier-Mail
MEN marrying children as young as 12 years in Australia are escaping serious charges because child brides tell prosecutors they have not been forced.
The Morrison Government will move to close the shock loophole today over concerns children not even in their teens are being married to men in their 30s.
Prosecutors have dropped forced marriage cases — including where the girls were just 12 and 14 years because the brides claimed they consented, making it harder to prove coercion, threat or deception.
When the cases were dropped, police charged perpetrators with lesser charges under the Commonwealth Marriage Act or used state child sex offender laws.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton will today reintroduce the Combating Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Bill, which responds to key recommendations of the royal commission into child sex abuse.
The proposed laws will expand the definition of forced marriage in the Criminal Code to explicitly include all marriages involving children under the age of 16 years.
It will also reduce the need to call evidence from vulnerable child victims and simplifies the prosecutorial burden of demonstrating a lack of full and free consent.
The beefed-up laws will also create an offence of failure to report or protect children at risk of a child sexual abuse offence and strengthens laws dealing with persistent overseas child sexual abuse, making it easier for authorities to prosecute.
Mr Dutton said he would not back away from keeping families safe. “I will do whatever I can to protect children from these sick predators,’’ Mr Dutton told The Courier-Mail.
“This Bill sends a clear message — the safety of our children should always be put first.
“This Government continues to take action to combat these heinous crimes, which have a serious and long-lasting effect on victims, survivors and the community.”
Source : https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/federal-government-moves-to-close-child-bride-loophole/news-story/f01f2df052086f4a664a72aafe3fe896
