Reporting child sexual abuse is a community-wide responsibility. Accordingly, a new criminal offence has been created in Victoria that imposes a clear legal duty upon all adults to report information about child sexual abuse to police. The offence commenced on 27 October 2014.
Any adult who forms a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child under 16 has an obligation to report that information to police. Failure to disclose the information to police is a criminal offence.
For information about how the offence may affect the reporting obligations of organisations funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, download the factsheet from the Department of Health and Human Services website .
See also How to report child abuse and neglect
