A woman in her 50s has become the first person to be charged under new Queensland laws that require all adults to report suspected child sexual abuse to police.
The Redbank Plains woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fronted Ipswich Magistrates Court this week over the charge – three months after the laws took effect.
Previously, only particular professionals – including school staff members, doctors and registered nurses – had legal reporting obligations.
But under the new laws, brought in the wake of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, anyone over 18 must now report sexual offences against children to police, unless they have a "reasonable excuse".
If convicted, the penalty can be up to three years' jail.
Sexual acts allegedly procured via text
Court documents show on September 4, the woman allegedly used electronic communication, namely SMS, "with the intent to procure" a child known to her to engage in a sexual act, and that she intentionally met the girl at Redbank Plains.
It is further alleged the woman gained information that caused her to believe "on reasonable grounds" that a child sexual offence had been committed against that girl by another adult – a man – and she failed to disclose the information to police "as soon as practicable".
Her co-offender is facing charges including rape.
Detectives from the Ipswich Child Protection Unit last month issued the woman with a notice to appear in court, with a police media spokesman saying she was the first person to be charged with failing to report a belief of child sexual offence.
The woman's case was briefly mentioned in court on Monday and adjourned to November 10.
According to court documents, her bail conditions include having no contact with children under 18.
The ABC has been told police investigations are ongoing.
The new failure to report laws applies to any adult who receives information (after July 5, 2021) that leads them to believe child abuse has been committed.
It means clergy in Queensland are now compelled to break the seal of confession to report child sexual abuse.
The Criminal Justice Report – released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse – had recommended a criminal offence of failure to report, targeted at abuse in an "institutional context," but the Queensland laws apply to all adults unless they have a "reasonable excuse".
