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Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009

Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009

2009 asp 9

Commentary on Sections

Part 4 – Children

Young Children

Section 18 – Rape of a young child

55.This section creates the statutory offence of “rape of a young child”. It provides that a person will commit this offence by intentionally or recklessly penetrating, with their penis, the vagina, anus or mouth of a young child. There is no reference to consent of the victim in this section. An offence will be committed irrespective of whether a young child apparently ‘consented’ to the penetration.

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Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

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