Gold Coast Sexual Offence Lawyers

Sexual offences in Queensland are governed by the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld), Chapter 32. Key offences include:

Rape (Section 349) — maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Involves carnal knowledge or penetration without consent.

Sexual assault (Section 352) — maximum 10 years imprisonment. Involves sexual touching without consent.

Indecent treatment of children under 16 (Section 210) — maximum 20 years (child under 12) or 14 years (child 12–16).

Maintaining a sexual relationship with a child (Section 229B) — maximum life imprisonment.

Observations or recordings in breach of privacy (Section 227A) — covering upskirting and similar offences.

Queensland’s affirmative consent model, introduced in 2024, means consent must be positively communicated. This reform significantly affects how these matters are prosecuted and defended.

Defences include consent, honest and reasonable belief in consent, false accusations, and identification challenges. Our lawyers are experienced in exposing inconsistencies in complainant evidence and challenging forensic and digital evidence.