Tougher Sentences for Child Sexual Offences

AI summary

Petitioners say sexual offences against children cause profound, lasting harm and that Canadians expect the criminal justice system to prioritize protecting children and vulnerable persons. They call on the House of Commons to require maximum available Criminal Code sentences for convictions of child sexual offences; remove judicial discretion to reduce penalties for first-time convictions; mandate automatic custodial consequences for breaches of court-ordered conditions; and reform federal law to provide meaningful public access to the National Sex Offender Registry with community safety as the paramount consideration. The petition does not include a government response.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons Sexual offences against children cause profound and lasting harm to victims, families, and communities; Canadians expect the criminal justice system to prioritize the protection of children and vulnerable persons; Concerns have been raised regarding sentencing practices for individuals convicted of sexual offences against children, including consistency and proportionality of penalties; and Transparency and public safety measures, including the National Sex Offender Registry, are matters of ongoing public interest We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to act without delay to strengthen Canada’s criminal justice system and better protect children by: 1 - Amending the Criminal Code to require the imposition of the maximum available sentences for individuals convicted of sexual offences against children, reflecting the gravity and lasting harm of these crimes; 2 - Removing sentencing discretion that permits reduced penalties for first-time convictions of sexual offences against children, ensuring such offences are treated with full seriousness from the outset; 3 - Mandating automatic and immediate custodial consequences for any breach of court-ordered conditions by convicted offenders; and 4 - Reforming federal legislation to provide meaningful public access to the National Sex Offender Registry, with community safety as the paramount consideration.

Government response

No government response is available yet.