House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Child Protection CHILD PROTECTION The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT House of Assembly Lee CHILD PROTECTION The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee) (14:32): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General please inform the house about the measures the government has taken to target child sex offenders? The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly Enfield Deputy Premier Attorney-General Minister for Planning Minister for Industrial Relations Minister for Business Services and Consumers CHILD PROTECTION The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:32): The government is responsible for significant reform in relation to the laws directed at child sex offenders. The government has increased penalties for child pornography from a maximum of two years to 10 years' imprisonment. The government has created new offences for procuring and grooming a child for sexual acts and has criminalised the filming of a child for sexual purposes, regardless of consent. The government was responsible for implementing the Child Sex Offender Registration Act 2006 and today has announced changes to make this reporting regime even stronger. The government introduced reforms to the Criminal Law (Sentencing) Act so that a repeat child sex offender is subject to harsher penalties and to make it a primary policy of the criminal law that children are protected from sexual predators by ensuring that, in any sentence for an offence involving sexual exploitation of child, paramount consideration is given to the need for deterrents. The government expanded the regime that allows the courts to detain a person indefinitely to include persons who are unwilling to control their criminal sexual urges. The government removed the statute of limitations in relation to historical sex crimes. The government introduced the paedophile restraining order system, allowing SAPOL to apply for an order against a person, even if that person is not charged with an offence. The government has required that the courts give priority to trials involving child sex offence matters as well. It is clear that these matters are of the gravest significance and of the highest priority.