The Law Reform Commission today published a report on the review of substantive sexual offences, making final recommendations for the reform of such offences in the Crimes Ordinance. 

The recommendations include the creation of a range of non-consensual sexual offences such as a new offence of sexual penetration without consent, a uniform age of consent of 16 years old, the creation of a range of new sexual offences involving children and persons with mental impairment which are gender neutral.

The commission also proposed the reform of a series of miscellaneous sexual offences such as incest, exposure, bestiality, necrophilia and homosexual-related buggery and gross indecency offences.

The report follows a study on the overall review of substantive sexual offences by the commission’s Review of Sexual Offences Sub-committee, which issued three consultation papers in September 2012, November 2016 and May 2018. 

In April this year, the commission published a report recommending the introduction of a new offence of voyeurism and a new offence in respect of non-consensual upskirt photography. 

It noted the responses to the consultation papers have been taken into account in formulating the final recommendations in the two reports.