Labor bid to increase sex crime penalties

LEGISLATION to impose mandatory jail sentences for serious sex offenders has been tabled in state parliament.

The government is making a fourth attempt to pass laws to increase the minimum tariff for serious sexual offending at the same time as Labor is calling for maximum sentences to be increased to life imprisonment.

The Sentencing Amendment (Mandatory Sentencing) Bill provides for a mandatory four years’ jail for the crime of rape if victim is under 17 at the time of the offence and four years for the persistent sexual abuse of a child or young person, where at least one of the unlawful sexual acts is an offence of rape.

It also provides for a mandatory three years’ imprisonment for the crime of persistent sexual abuse of a child or young person where there are circumstances of aggravation and none of the unlawful sexual acts is an offence of rape and two years imprisonment for the crime of penetrative sexual abuse of a child or young person where there are circumstances of aggravation.

The mandatory minimum sentencing provisions proposed in the Bill will not apply where there are “exceptional circumstances”.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Elise Archer called on Labor to support the Bill.

“We have taken this policy to three separate state elections and have received a strong mandate each time,” Ms Archer said.

“Guaranteed prison time for child sex offenders should be law right now – but Labor has used their numbers in the Legislative Council to block it time and time again.

“This is simply not good enough. Now more than ever, Labor must listen to victimsurvivors who have been calling for this for years.”

Shadow Attorney-General Ella Haddad said increasing maximum sentences to life for serious sexual offences would signal to judges that the community demanded tougher penalties in serious cases.

“There is absolutely no question that people who commit sexual offences against children should go to jail,” Ms Haddad said.

“Nobody is arguing against that fact, least of all the Labor Party.

“What the Labor Party’s position is, is that the government should be giving the power to the courts, to the judges, to actually send those offenders to jail for life, if that’s what the judge determines.

“They are bringing forward lazy legislation that doesn’t serve victims.”