NSW Fines or Jail for FGM at Any Age, New Sex Crimes Involving Children, and Child Abuse Material Rules Expanded to Under 18s

Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences and Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2025

18 Sep 2025: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

Share this bill

Email Facebook X Bluesky

Topics

body piercing child abuse material child protection child safety criminal justice criminal law female genital mutilation sentencing sexual offences tattooing

Introduced by: Michael Daley MP (ALP); The Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC (ALP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

A person commits an offence if they perform a sexual act in front of a child under 16; the child's presence must be a source of sexual arousal or gratification
Performing female genital mutilation is a crime regardless of the victim's age; the act does not need to be for ritual or traditional purposes
Piercing and tattooing are not crimes; the practitioner must follow all legal, professional and ethical requirements
If a court is sure a person committed a serious sex crime but cannot tell if the victim was alive or dead at the time, the person cannot be acquitted. They will be sentenced for the offence that has the lower penalty.
Performing a sexual act in front of a child under 16 to produce child abuse material is a crime.
For laws about child abuse material, the definition of a child now includes anyone under 18. This is an increase from 16.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Susan Carter LIB

“On behalf of the Opposition, I contribute to debate on the Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences and Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2025. The Opposition is happy to support the bill.”

Official source →

Natasha Maclaren-Jones LIB

“I contribute to debate on the Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences and Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2025. Female genital mutilation is one of the most horrific violations imaginable. It inflicts lifelong physical and psychological trauma. It strips women and girls of their dignity, safety and most basic human rights.”

Official source →

Sue Higginson GRN

“I speak on behalf of The Greens to indicate our strong support for the Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences and Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2025. In recognising that I now speak on the public record of New South Wales, I forewarn that I will be discussing elements of sexual assault, child abuse and female genital mutilation. We should always provide a warning for those listening.”

Official source →

Emily Suvaal ALP

“Susan Carter, the Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones and Ms Sue Higginson. Sexual offending is one of the most heinous forms of criminal behaviour. It is a violation of a person in circumstances of significant vulnerability and the impacts often stay with victim-survivors for the rest of their lives.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences and Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2025

Mr MICHAEL DALEY, Attorney General — 2025-06-25

There are four key reforms in the bill. I will go through each of them in detail, but in summary they are as follows. Firstly, the bill will make a number of changes in relation to the offences that criminalise female genital mutilation. Principally, these will clarify that the offences apply to adult victims as well as child victims, and that the conduct covered is not limited to acts carried out for ritualistic or traditional purposes only.