RECENT changes to Queensland’s Working With Children legislation require more people who work closely with children to hold a blue card.
This includes those in entertainment and amusement park industries, sports, churches and clubs, educational services, and the legal profession.
Other key reforms include:
• Setting consistent rules for parent volunteers;
• Introducing new self-disclosure requirements;
• Establishing a simpler disqualification framework;
• Introducing a new suspension power to allow Blue Card Services to take immediate action when notified of a risk to the safety of children;
• Strengthening compliance powers and ensuring decision-making is more responsive to risk.
A new ‘position of authority’ criminal offence is also coming into effect, providing stronger protections for children aged 16 or 17 from sexual interactions with adults who have them under their care, supervision, or authority.
The offence aims to capture and deter adults in a position of authority who abuse their position of power or influence to commit sexual acts. It will protect young people over the age of consent but still under 18 years.
Offenders convicted of this offence will face a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.
The existing offence of ‘repeated sexual conduct with a child’ will extend to adults in positions of care, supervision, or authority with 16 or 17-year-olds, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Protections for victims of sexual violence will also be strengthened, with non-contact orders extended from two to five years and the maximum penalty for breaches increased to three years’ imprisonment (or 120 penalty units) – bringing them into line with domestic and family violence orders.