Guiding principles
32AB Guiding principles
Pt 2 Div. 2A (Heading) amended by No. 38/2022 s. 93(1).
Pt 2 Div. 2A (Heading and ss 32B–32G) inserted by No. 21/1998 s. 4.
S. 32AB inserted by No. 2/2006 s. 27, amended by Nos 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 54.4), 52/2012 s. 15.
It is the intention of Parliament that in interpreting and applying this Division in any legal proceeding that relates (wholly or partly) to a charge for a sexual offence, courts are to have regard to the fact that—
there is a high incidence of sexual violence within society; and
sexual offences are significantly under-reported; and
a significant number of sexual offences are committed against women, children and other vulnerable persons including persons with a cognitive impairment; and
offenders are commonly known to their victims; and
sexual offences often occur in circumstances where there is unlikely to be any physical signs of an offence having occurred.
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