In April 2021, the ACT Government introduced three new offences against vulnerable people to the Crimes Act 1900 in the Crimes (Offences Against Vulnerable People) Legislation Amendment Bill 2020. The new offences aim to provide additional protections for vulnerable adults with a disability and older Canberrans.

The three new offences make it a crime to:

• abuse a vulnerable person
• fail to protect a vulnerable person from a criminal offence
• neglect a vulnerable person.

The offences apply to both institutions and individuals who provide care to vulnerable adults, including family members and a person in authority.

To ensure these new laws are effective, the ACT Government is consulting with the Canberra community and key stakeholders on the three offences against vulnerable people to see if the offences are effective and if they can be improved.

The statutory review of the offences will focus on three questions:

1. How has the definition of ‘vulnerable person’ supported or limited the effectiveness of the three new offences?
2. How have the types of caring relationships captured in the offences, including the definition of ‘responsible for providing care’, supported or limited the effectiveness of the offences?
3. If the offences applied to children with disability, would they offer more protection compared to existing protections for children? Why or why not?

The feedback collected during the consultation will be considered during the evaluation of the offences and will directly inform any recommendations that emerge from the review.