ACTIn ForceAct
Crimes Act 1900
66AFailure by person in authority to protect child or young
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66A Failure by person in authority to protect child or young
person from sexual offence
(a) the person is a person in authority in a relevant institution
(the first person); and
(b) there is a substantial risk that a sexual offence will be
committed—
(i) against a child in the institution’s care, supervision or
control by a person associated with the institution; or
(ii) against a young person in the institution’s care, supervision
or control by another person in authority in the institution;
and
(c) the first person is aware that the risk exists; and
(d) the first person can, because of the position the person occupies
in the institution, reduce or remove the risk; and
(e) the first person intentionally or negligently fails to reduce or
remove the risk.
(a) it does not matter that an act or omission constituting the sexual
offence happens, or is at risk of happening, outside the ACT if—
(i) the child or young person was in the ACT at any time the
first person was aware that the risk mentioned in
subsection (1) (b) existed; or
(ii) the person mentioned in subsection (1) (b) (i) or (ii) was a
person associated with, or in authority in, a relevant
institution in the ACT at any time the first person was
aware that the risk existed; and
(b) for subsection (1) (c), it does not matter that the first person is
aware of the risk mentioned in subsection (1) (b) because of
information communicated to the person during a religious
confession; and
(c) it is not necessary to prove that a sexual offence has been
committed.
(3) For subsection (1) (e), the first person negligently fails to reduce or
remove a risk if that failure involves a great falling short of the
standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise in the
circumstances.
(4) The Criminal Code, chapter 2 (other than the applied provisions) does
associated—a person is associated with a relevant institution if the
person is an adult who—
(d) engages in a regulated activity with or for the institution.
child means a person who is under 16 years old.
relevant institution means—
(a) an entity, other than an individual, that operates facilities for,
engages in activities with, or provides services to, children under
the entity’s care, supervision or control; or
(b) a group of entities mentioned in paragraph (a) if the entities—
(i) interact with each other, share similar characteristics and
collectively have a sense of unity; or
(ii) are controlled, managed or governed by another entity.
Examples—par (a)
schools, religious organisations, hospitals, education and care services, childcare
centres, out-of-home carers, sports clubs, youth organisations
a group of schools controlled by a religious organisation, a group of youth centres
operated by a company, a group of churches sharing the same religious philosophy
religious confession—see section 66AA (8).
sexual offence means—
(a) an offence against—
(i) part 3 (Sexual offences); or
(ii) any other provision prescribed by regulation; or
(b) an offence committed in another jurisdiction that would be an
offence under paragraph (a) if committed in the ACT.
young person means a person who is 16 years old or older, but not
yet an adult.