Potential life imprisonment on cards for child sex abusers

Repeated child sex abusers could earn life in jail and their enablers hit with heavier penalties under legislation to be presented to NSW parliament today.

Repeated child sex abusers will face a maximum life sentence under historic child sex abuse laws to be introduced into NSW parliament today.

The laws include a suite of measures recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and will help ensure perpetrators are held to account, NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman said in a statement. Fresh new penalties for child sex abusers The reforms include a maximum life sentence for persistent child sexual abuse, new offences for failure to report and failure to protect against child abuse, and a requirement that courts disregard an offender’s good character when sentencing for historical offences.