Petition · past parliament
Change CICA policy that states children age 12+ can “consent in fact” to sex
Closed
959 signatures
What the petition asks
Children from age 12y could be refused compensation for sexual abuse on grounds they consented under revised rules.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) review of its guidelines revealed that almost 700 child victims were denied payments, even where the attacker was jailed.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) review of its guidelines revealed that almost 700 child victims were denied payments, even where the attacker was jailed.
The age of consent is 16 for good reason. It reflects the cognitive, emotional and social development required as an absolute minimum to consent to sex. The current CICA guidelines flies in face of this, notwithstanding ignoring the context in which "consent" occurs. Coercion, fear and manipulation are part of these offences and as such "consent in fact" is null and void.
Such victim blaming is wrong, unhelpful and psychologically damaging. As such, this should be fully debated in Parliament.
Such victim blaming is wrong, unhelpful and psychologically damaging. As such, this should be fully debated in Parliament.
Timeline
| 26 Sep 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 26 Mar 2018 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
959
Status
Closed
Opened
26 Sep 2017
Closed
26 Mar 2018
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.