Children's Institute submission on the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill [B 18-2014]

A submission by the Children’s Institute to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, Parliament, on the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill [B 18-2014]. In the submission, the CI addresses concerns around the requirements for reporting sexual offences and the ethical dilemmas posed by the requirement to report sexual activities between consenting adolescents. The CI submits that: 1. Consensual sexual activities between adolescents should not be a crime. 2. Children convicted of sexual offences should be assessed before their names are added to the National Register of Sex Offenders. 3. Once found to be a risk and placed on the National Register of Sex Offenders children convicted of sexual offences should be assessed before their names are removed