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16/02/2022
New Legislation To Strengthen NI Sexual Offence Laws
New legislation to strengthen existing law and introduce new offences to tackle sexual offending in Northern Ireland is to be considered during the Assembly.
Welcoming the progress of the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Minister Long said: "Since my appointment as Justice Minister, I have made it my priority to legislate to protect the most vulnerable victims.
"Having already brought forward significant new safeguards in the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act 2021 and in the Protection from Stalking Bill, the moving of this Bill today represents another important step in delivering a legislative programme that will make our communities safer and provide additional support to victims who have suffered abuse and exploitation."
The Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill has two core aims:
• to enhance public safety by implementing certain elements of the Report of the Gillen review of serious sexual offence cases and from a review of the law on child sexual exploitation and sexual offences against children; and
• to improve services for victims of trafficking and exploitation.
Naomi Long continued: "This Bill includes provisions to address a number of issues that have been prioritised to have the most impact on the experiences of victims; including measures to exclude the public from all serious sexual offence hearings the creation of a new offence of adults masquerading as children online and a new offence of up-skirting and down blousing.
"These provisions have been further strengthened by the addition of a number of new provisions to the Bill to abolish what is known as the rough sex defence; extend existing provisions relating to the publication of private sexual images to include a threat of publication; to widen the scope and strengthen the current law on abuse of a position of trust of a child; and to create a new offence of non-fatal strangulation.
"Taken collectively, the provisions that were included in the Bill at Introduction, together with these valuable new additions, will provide further protections for the most vulnerable in our community. I am grateful to the Justice Committee who have completed their scrutiny of the Bill and I look forward to working with my Assembly colleagues to ensure the provisions of this Bill are enacted this mandate."
Welcoming the progress of the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Minister Long said: "Since my appointment as Justice Minister, I have made it my priority to legislate to protect the most vulnerable victims.
"Having already brought forward significant new safeguards in the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act 2021 and in the Protection from Stalking Bill, the moving of this Bill today represents another important step in delivering a legislative programme that will make our communities safer and provide additional support to victims who have suffered abuse and exploitation."
The Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill has two core aims:
• to enhance public safety by implementing certain elements of the Report of the Gillen review of serious sexual offence cases and from a review of the law on child sexual exploitation and sexual offences against children; and
• to improve services for victims of trafficking and exploitation.
Naomi Long continued: "This Bill includes provisions to address a number of issues that have been prioritised to have the most impact on the experiences of victims; including measures to exclude the public from all serious sexual offence hearings the creation of a new offence of adults masquerading as children online and a new offence of up-skirting and down blousing.
"These provisions have been further strengthened by the addition of a number of new provisions to the Bill to abolish what is known as the rough sex defence; extend existing provisions relating to the publication of private sexual images to include a threat of publication; to widen the scope and strengthen the current law on abuse of a position of trust of a child; and to create a new offence of non-fatal strangulation.
"Taken collectively, the provisions that were included in the Bill at Introduction, together with these valuable new additions, will provide further protections for the most vulnerable in our community. I am grateful to the Justice Committee who have completed their scrutiny of the Bill and I look forward to working with my Assembly colleagues to ensure the provisions of this Bill are enacted this mandate."
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06 July 2021
Legislation Introduced To Strengthen NI's Sexual Offences And Trafficking Laws
New legislation to improve public safety by updating the law on sexual offending in Northern Ireland has been introduced by Justice Minister Naomi Long.
Legislation Introduced To Strengthen NI's Sexual Offences And Trafficking Laws
New legislation to improve public safety by updating the law on sexual offending in Northern Ireland has been introduced by Justice Minister Naomi Long.
24 November 2023
81-Year-Old Bangor Man Jailed For Historic Sexual Offences
An 81-year-old man has been jailed for three years for a number of historic sexual offences. David Parkinson, from Bangor, Co Down, was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court for 12 offences including gross indecency, indecent assault and rape. The offences were committed between 1976 and 1983.
81-Year-Old Bangor Man Jailed For Historic Sexual Offences
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83 Child Predators Convicted In 2022
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The PSNI have recorded a 43% increase in the number of searches conducted by the Child Internet Protection Team (CIPT). In 2022, CIPT officers carried out 145 searches, 43% more than 2021, seized thousands of devices and uncovered tens of thousands of indecent images of children.
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PSNI Attempting To Identify Victim In 1973 Sexual Assault
PSNI Detectives in Belfast investigating an alleged serious sexual assault of a female child in Belfast in 1973 have issued an appeal for information in an attempt to identify the victim.
PSNI Attempting To Identify Victim In 1973 Sexual Assault
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