(d) in the case of an offence against section 270.7C—another person has caused the alleged victim to enter into debt bondage.
(2) The following matters are covered by this subsection:
(a) the economic relationship between the alleged victim, the alleged offender or a family member of the alleged victim or alleged offender, and any other person;
(b) the terms of any written or oral contract or agreement between the alleged victim, the alleged offender or a family member of the alleged victim or alleged offender, and any other person;
(c) the personal circumstances of the alleged victim, including but not limited to:
(i) whether he or she is entitled to be in Australia under the Migration Act 1958; and
(ii) his or her ability to speak, write and understand English or another language; and
(iii) the extent of his or her social and physical dependence on the alleged offender or any other person.
(3) Subsection (1) does not:
(a) prevent the leading of any other evidence in the relevant proceedings; or
(b) limit the manner in which evidence may be given or the admissibility of evidence.
(4) In this section:
family member of a person means:
(a) the person’s spouse or de facto partner; or
(b) a parent, step‑parent or grandparent of the person; or
(c) a child, step‑child or grandchild of the person; or
(d) a brother, sister, step‑brother or step‑sister of the person; or
(e) a guardian or carer of the person.
(5) For the purposes of this section, the family members of a person are taken to include the following (without limitation):
(a) a de facto partner of the person;
(b) someone who is the child of the person, or of whom the person is the child, because of the definition of child in the Dictionary;
(c) anyone else who would be a member of the person’s family if someone mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) is taken to be a family member of the person.
Subdivision D—Offences against Division 270: general
270.11 Offences against Division 270—no defence of victim consent or acquiescence
To avoid doubt, it is not a defence in a proceeding for an offence against this Division that a person against whom the offence is alleged to have been committed consented to, or acquiesced in, conduct constituting any element of the offence.
270.12 Offences against Division 270—other laws not excluded
(1) This Division is not intended to exclude or limit the operation of any other law of the Commonwealth or any law of a State or Territory.
Note: Division 279 (video link evidence) applies to a proceeding for an offence against this Division.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), this Division is not intended to exclude or limit the concurrent operation of any other law of the Commonwealth, or a law of a State or Territory, that makes:
(a) an act or omission that is an offence against a provision of this Division; or
(b) a similar act or omission;
an offence against the law of the Commonwealth, State or Territory.
(3) Subsection (2) applies even if the other law of the Commonwealth, or the law of the State or Territory, does any one or more of the following:
(a) provides for a penalty for the offence that differs from the penalty provided for in this Division;
(b) provides for a fault element in relation to the offence that differs from the fault elements applicable to the offence under this Division;
(c) provides for a defence in relation to the offence that differs from the defences applicable to the offence under this Division.
270.13 Offences against Division 270—double jeopardy
If a person has been convicted or acquitted in a country outside Australia of an offence against the law of that country in respect of any conduct, the person cannot be convicted of an offence against this Division in respect of that conduct.
Division 271—Trafficking in persons
Subdivision A—Definitions
271.1 Definitions
In this Division:
coercion has the same meaning as in Division 270 (see section 270.1A).
confiscate, in relation to a person’s travel or identity document, means to take possession of the document, whether permanently or otherwise, to the exclusion of the person, or to destroy the document.
constitutional corporation means a corporation to which paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies.
deceive means mislead as to fact (including the intention of any person) or as to law, by words or other conduct.
Note: Deception has a corresponding meaning (see section 18A of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901).
exploitation has the meaning given by section 271.1A.
threat has the same meaning as in Division 270 (see section 270.1A).
271.1A Definition of exploitation
For the purposes of this Division, exploitation, of one person (the victim) by another person, occurs if the other person’s conduct causes the victim to enter into any of the following conditions:
(a) slavery, or a condition similar to slavery;
(b) servitude;
(c) forced labour;
(d) forced marriage;
(e) debt bondage.
Note: Division 270 (slavery and slavery‑like offences) deals with slavery, servitude, forced labour, forced marriage and debt bondage.
Subdivision B—Offences relating to trafficking in persons
271.2 Offence of trafficking in persons
(1) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the entry or proposed entry, or the receipt, of another person into Australia; and
(b) the first person uses coercion, threat or deception; and
(c) that use of coercion, threat or deception results in the first person obtaining the other person’s compliance in respect of that entry or proposed entry or in respect of that receipt.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(1A) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the exit or proposed exit of another person from Australia; and
(b) the first person uses coercion, threat or deception; and
(c) that use of coercion, threat or deception results in the first person obtaining the other person’s compliance in respect of that exit or proposed exit.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(1B) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the entry or proposed entry, or the receipt, of another person into Australia; and
(b) in organising or facilitating that entry or proposed entry, or that receipt, the first person is reckless as to whether the other person will be exploited, either by the first person or another, after that entry or receipt.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(1C) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the exit or proposed exit of another person from Australia; and
(b) in organising or facilitating that exit or proposed exit, the first person is reckless as to whether the other person will be exploited, either by the first person or another, after that exit.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the entry or proposed entry, or the receipt, of another person into Australia; and
(b) the first person deceives the other person about the fact that the other person’s entry or proposed entry, the other person’s receipt or any arrangements for the other person’s stay in Australia, will involve the provision by the other person of sexual services or will involve the other person’s exploitation or the confiscation of the other person’s travel or identity documents.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2A) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the exit or proposed exit of another person from Australia; and
(b) the first person deceives the other person about the fact that the other person’s exit or proposed exit is for purposes that involve the provision by the other person of sexual services outside Australia or will involve the other person’s exploitation or the confiscation of the other person’s travel or identity documents.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2B) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the entry or proposed entry, or the receipt, of another person into Australia; and
(b) there is an arrangement for the other person to provide sexual services in Australia; and
(c) the first person deceives the other person about any of the following:
(i) the nature of the sexual services to be provided;
(ii) the extent to which the other person will be free to leave the place or area where the other person provides sexual services;
(iii) the extent to which the other person will be free to cease providing sexual services;
(iv) the extent to which the other person will be free to leave his or her place of residence;
(v) if there is a debt owed or claimed to be owed by the other person in connection with the arrangement for the other person to provide sexual services—the quantum, or the existence, of the debt owed or claimed to be owed.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2C) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the exit or proposed exit of another person from Australia; and
(b) there is an arrangement for the other person to provide sexual services outside Australia; and
(c) the first person deceives the other person about any of the following:
(i) the nature of the sexual services to be provided;
(ii) the extent to which the other person will be free to leave the place or area where the other person provides sexual services;
(iii) the extent to which the other person will be free to cease providing sexual services;
(iv) the extent to which the other person will be free to leave his or her place of residence;
(v) if there is a debt owed or claimed to be owed by the other person in connection with the arrangement for the other person to provide sexual services—the quantum, or the existence, of the debt owed or claimed to be owed.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(3) Absolute liability applies to paragraphs (1)(c) and (1A)(c).
271.3 Trafficking in persons—aggravated offence
(1) A person (the first person) commits an aggravated offence of trafficking in persons if the first person commits the offence of trafficking in persons in relation to another person (the victim) and any of the following applies:
(a) the first person commits the offence intending that the victim will be exploited, either by the first person or another:
(i) if the offence of trafficking in persons is an offence against subsection 271.2(1), (1B), (2) or (2B)—after entry into Australia; or
(ii) if the offence of trafficking in persons is an offence against subsection 271.2(1A), (1C), (2A) or (2C)—after exit from Australia;
(b) the first person, in committing the offence, subjects the victim to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment;
(c) the first person, in committing the offence:
(i) engages in conduct that gives rise to a danger of death or serious harm to the victim or another person; and
(ii) is reckless as to that danger.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 20 years.
(2) If, on a trial for an offence against this section, the court, or if the trial is before a jury, the jury, is not satisfied that the defendant is guilty of the aggravated offence, but is satisfied that he or she is guilty of an offence against section 271.2, it may find the defendant not guilty of the aggravated offence but guilty of an offence against that section.
(3) Subsection (2) only applies if the defendant has been afforded procedural fairness in relation to the finding of guilt for the offence against section 271.2.
Note: Section 271.2 provides for offences of trafficking in persons.
271.4 Offence of trafficking in children
(1) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in children if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the entry or proposed entry into Australia, or the receipt in Australia, of another person; and
(b) the other person is under the age of 18; and
(c) in organising or facilitating that entry or proposed entry, or that receipt, the first person:
(i) intends that the other person will be used to provide sexual services or will be otherwise exploited, either by the first person or another, after that entry or receipt; or
(ii) is reckless as to whether the other person will be used to provide sexual services or will be otherwise exploited, either by the first person or another, after that entry or receipt.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 25 years.
(2) A person (the first person) commits an offence of trafficking in children if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the exit or proposed exit from Australia of another person; and
(b) the other person is under the age of 18; and
(c) in organising or facilitating that exit or proposed exit, the first person:
(i) intends that the other person will be used to provide sexual services or will be otherwise exploited, either by the first person or another, after that exit; or
(ii) is reckless as to whether the other person will be used to provide sexual services or will be otherwise exploited, either by the first person or another, after that exit.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 25 years.
271.5 Offence of domestic trafficking in persons
(1) A person (the first person) commits an offence of domestic trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the transportation or proposed transportation of another person from one place in Australia to another place in Australia; and
(b) the first person uses coercion, threat or deception; and
(c) that use of coercion, threat or deception results in the first person obtaining the other person’s compliance in respect of that transportation or proposed transportation.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2) A person (the first person) commits an offence of domestic trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the transportation or proposed transportation of another person from one place in Australia to another place in Australia; and
(b) in organising or facilitating that transportation or proposed transportation, the first person is reckless as to whether the other person will be exploited, either by the first person or another, after that transportation.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2A) A person (the first person) commits an offence of domestic trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the transportation of another person from one place in Australia to another place in Australia; and
(b) the first person deceives the other person about the fact that the transportation, or any arrangements the first person has made for the other person following the transportation, will involve the provision by the other person of sexual services or will involve the other person’s exploitation or the confiscation of the other person’s travel or identity documents.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(2B) A person (the first person) commits an offence of domestic trafficking in persons if:
(a) the first person organises or facilitates the transportation of another person from one place in Australia to another place in Australia; and
(b) there is an arrangement for the other person to provide sexual services; and
(c) the first person deceives the other person about any of the following:
(i) the nature of the sexual services to be provided;
(ii) the extent to which the other person will be free to leave the place or area where the other person provides sexual services;
(iii) the extent to which the other person will be free to cease providing sexual services;
(iv) the extent to which the other person will be free to leave his or her place of residence;
(v) if there is a debt owed or claimed to be owed by the other person in connection with the arrangement for the other person to provide sexual services—the quantum, or the existence, of the debt owed or claimed to be owed.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 years.
(3) Absolute liability applies to paragraph (1)(c).
271.6 Domestic trafficking in persons—aggravated offence
(1) A person (the first person) commits an aggravated offence of domestic trafficking in persons if the first person commits the offence of domestic trafficking in persons in relation to another person (the victim) and any of the following applies:
(a) the first person commits the offence intending that the victim will be exploited, either by the first person or by another, after arrival at the place to which the person has been transported;
(b) the first person, in committing the offence, subjects the victim to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment;
(c) the first person, in committing the offence:
(i) engages in conduct that gives rise to a danger of death or serious harm to the victim or another person; and
(ii) is reckless as to that danger.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 20 years.
(2) If, on a trial for an offence against this section, the court, or if the trial is before a jury, the jury, is not satisfied that the defendant is guilty of the aggravated offence, but is satisfied that he or she is guilty of an offence against section 271.5, it may find the defendant not guilty of the aggravated offence, but guilty of an offence against that section.
(3) Subsection (2) only applies if the defendant has been afforded procedural fairness in relation to the finding of guilt for the offence against section 271.5.
Note: Section 271.5 provides for offences of domestic trafficking in persons.
271.7 Offence of domestic trafficking in children
A person commits an offence of domestic trafficking in children if: