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Incest

In South Australia, it is a criminal offence to have sexual intercourse with a close family member [Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA) s 72].

A close family member means

  • a parent
  • a child
  • a sibling (including a half-sibling)
  • a grandparent
  • a grandchild.

It does not include a family member related by marriage or adoption alone.

The maximum penalty for this offence is imprisonment for 10 years.

Consent is not a defence to an offence against s 72. A defendant who can establish that they did not know, and could not reasonably have known,that the person they had sexual intercourse with was a close family member will have a valid defence [s 72(2)].

Incest  :  Last Revised: Tue Sep 17th 2024
The content of the Law Handbook is made available as a public service for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. See Disclaimer for details. For free and confidential legal advice in South Australia call 1300 366 424.