Member of Parliament for St George Michael Freeland has called for stronger punishment for sexual offences against children, saying a recent case in which an older man received a three-year sentence left him “disgusted.”
Speaking in the House of Representatives during debate on the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Freeland said he could not understand how an adult could sexually abuse a child within their own family or household. He backed the bill’s tougher penalties and said children must be protected regardless of whether the offender is a relative, caregiver or someone else they trust.
“From the time you see a schoolgirl, [she is] off limits,” Freeland told the House. He said adults also have a responsibility to establish a young person’s age and respect that boundary.
