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Crimes Act 1900
55ASexual intercourse with young person under special care
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55A Sexual intercourse with young person under special care
(a) the person engages in sexual intercourse with a young person;
and
(b) the young person is under the person’s special care.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), a young person is under the special
care of a person if the person—
(a) is a teacher at a school, or a person with responsibility for
students at a school, and the young person is a student at the
school; or
(b) is a parent, step-parent, grandparent, foster carer or legal
guardian of the young person; or
(c) is a domestic partner of a person mentioned in paragraph (b); or
(d) has an established personal relationship with the young person
in relation to the provision of religious, sporting, musical or
other instruction; or
(e) is the young person’s employer; or
(f) provides professional counselling to the young person; or
(g) is a health service provider and the young person is the person’s
patient; or
(h) is a custodial officer and the young person is a young detainee
in the officer’s care, custody or control; or
(i) is a carer for the young person if the young person has impaired
decision-making ability; or
(j) is otherwise responsible for the care, supervision or control of
the young person.
(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person if the person—
(a) was married to the young person at the time of the alleged
(b) is not more than 2 years older than the young person.
mentioned in s (3) (see Criminal Code, s 58).
(4) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against subsection (1)
if the defendant proves that the defendant believed on reasonable
grounds that the young person was at least 18 years old.
custodial officer means—
(b) a corrections officer; or
(c) a youth detention officer under the Children and Young People
Act 2008, section 96; or
(d) a transfer escort under the Children and Young People Act 2008,
section 114; or
(e) a prison officer under the Crimes (Sentence Administration)
Act 2005, section 217.
employer, of a young person, includes someone authorised to—
(a) decide or vary the terms of the young person’s employment; or
(b) end the young person’s employment.
foster carer—see the Children and Young People Act 2008,
section 518 (2).
health service—see the Human Rights Commission Act 2005,
section 7.
health service provider includes—
(a) a health practitioner; and
(b) someone providing a health service.
young detainee—see the Children and Young People Act 2008,
section 95.
young person means a person who is at least 16 years old, but not yet
an adult.
Note Adult—see the Legislation Act, dictionary, pt 1.