Crimes against children
Under PROTECT, if you believe a crime against a child has been committed, you must make a report to Victoria Police. This page lists common crimes against a child.
On this page
Content warning: This page includes descriptions of abuse and may be distressing to read. Information on how to access support for any issues it may raise for you is available at Wellbeing support for school staff.
If you believe a crime against a child has been committed, you must make a report to Victoria Police.
- Emergency situations that require urgent police attendance must be reported to police via 000.
- At any time, you can call Victoria Police on 131 444 (non-emergency situations only) or contact your local police station.
Follow the guidance based on the source of abuse.
Crimes against children
Any act that is a criminal offence against an adult is a criminal offence against a child. There are also additional criminal offences against children.
Below are some of the criminal offences that are perpetrated against children.
Open all
- Assault and related offences
- serious assault
- intentionally cause injury
- recklessly cause injury
- assault with weapon
- choke / strangle / suffocate
- threaten serious injury
- female genital mutilation
- Care and wellbeing of children
- neglect
- ill-treatment of a child in the person’s care
- Sexual offences
- rape
- sexual exposure of genitalia (known as flashing)
- possess, access, produce or share child abuse material, including altered or manipulated material known as ‘deepfake porn’
- extortion of compromising, sexual or intimate images or videos (known as sextortion)
- intentional removal or tampering with a condom without consent (known as stealthing)
- grooming for sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16 years (this offence can only be committed by someone aged 18 years or over)
- incest
- depending on the child’s age and the age of the other person, the following may also be a sexual offence:
- any sexual activity (see consent laws for more information)
- sexual or inappropriate touching
- any sexual act between an adult and a child under 16 years old, or under 18 where the adult has supervision, authority or care responsibilities to that child (see age of consent laws)
- Stalking, harassment and threatening behaviour
- stalking
- harassment
- threatening behaviour
- making a threat to kill
- Abduction and related offences
- abduction
- false imprisonment
- slavery and sexual servitude offences
- Property damage
- criminal damage
- threat to destroy/damage property
- Breaches of orders
- breach Family Violence Intervention Order
- breach Personal Safety Intervention Order
- Forced marriage
- causing a person to enter into a forced marriage
- being a party to a forced marriage
- Change or suppression (conversion) practices
- engaging in one or more change or suppression practices that cause serious injury
- Engaging in one or more change or suppression practices that cause injury
- Taking a person from Victoria for a change or suppression practice
- Advertising a change or suppression practice
- Terrorism offences
- membership of a terrorist organisation
- recruiting for a terrorist organisation
- training involving a terrorist organisation
- getting funds to, from or for a terrorist organisation
- associating with terrorist organisations
Age of criminal responsibility
Victoria has laws about the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
Under these laws:
- A child or young person aged 12 years or over can commit an offence.
- There is a presumption that a child who is 12 or 13 years of age cannot commit an offence.
- A child or young person who is under the age of 12 cannot commit an offence.
Updated 30 March 2026
At all times
Throughout the 4 Critical Actions, you must:
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide