Criminal Code Act 1995

Schedule - The Criminal Code  

Section 3

CHAPTER 8 - OFFENCES AGAINST HUMANITY AND RELATED OFFENCES  

Division 268 - Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes against the administration of the justice of the International Criminal Court  

Subdivision G - War crimes that are other serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in an armed conflict that is not an international armed conflict  

SECTION 268.87   War crime - sexual violence  

(1)    
A person (the perpetrator ) commits an offence if:


(a) the perpetrator does either of the following:


(i) commits an act or acts of a sexual nature against one or more persons;

(ii) causes one or more persons to engage in an act or acts of a sexual nature;
without the consent of the person or persons, including by being reckless as to whether there is consent; and


(b) the perpetrator ' s conduct is of a gravity comparable to the offences referred to in sections 268.82 to 268.87 ; and


(c) the conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an armed conflict that is not an international armed conflict.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 25 years.


(2)    
Strict liability applies to paragraph (1)(b) .

(3)    
In subsection (1) :

consent
means free and voluntary agreement.

The following are examples of circumstances in which a person does not consent to an act:

  • (a) the person submits to the act because of force or the fear of force to the person or to someone else;
  • (b) the person submits to the act because the person is unlawfully detained;
  • (c) the person is asleep or unconscious, or is so affected by alcohol or another drug as to be incapable of consenting;
  • (d) the person is incapable of understanding the essential nature of the act;
  • (e) the person is mistaken about the essential nature of the act (for example, the person mistakenly believes that the act is for medical or hygienic purposes);
  • (f) the person submits to the act because of psychological oppression or abuse of power;
  • (g) the person submits to the act because of the perpetrator taking advantage of a coercive environment.

    • threat of force or coercion
    includes:


    (a) a threat of force or coercion such as that caused by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or abuse of power, against the person or another person; or


    (b) taking advantage of a coercive environment.


    (4)    
    In subsection (1) , being reckless as to whether there is consent to one or more acts of a sexual nature includes not giving any thought to whether or not the person is consenting to the act or acts of a sexual nature.

     

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