The sexual abuse of children: A discussion of the inadequacy of the current South Australian legislative regime and suggestions for reform

One of the main reasons why the current South Australian criminal justice system fails to provide an appropriate response to the issue of child sexual abuse is that the legislation proscribing this conduct does not reflect the dynamics of child molestation. As a result the penalties imposed by the Courts fail to recognise the seriousness of these crimes against children. The adoption of the legislative scheme of the Crimes (Child Sex Tourism) Amendment Act 1994 (Cth) would provide a framework for the reassessment of these crimes and hopefully lead to a more realistic response by the justice system.