New legislation seeks to protect child sex victims

Anyone withholding information on a child sex crime faces a minimum five-year jail term under new legislation being drawn up.

The Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill includes most sexual offences along with assault, abduction, manslaughter and murder.

“It is not acceptable that there can be a cloak of secrecy surrounding such offences or offences against other vulnerable persons in our society,” said Justice Minister Alan Shatter.