People who stand by and do nothing to stop child abuse will be held accountable under proposed laws to be introduced to Parliament today, Justice Minister Simon Power says.
A number of proposals that aim to protect children and vulnerable adults from assault and neglect were signed off by Cabinet yesterday and would today be introduced to Parliament as part of the Crimes Amendment Bill, Mr Power said.
The bill would create a new offence for failing to protect a child or vulnerable adult, knowing they were at risk, which would have a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
Adults could be found liable if they lived in the same house as the victim, were closely connected with the household, or were a staff member at an institution where the victim lived.
The bill would also increase the maximum penalty for cruelty to a child from five years to 10 years' imprisonment, and the current legal duty for parents to provide the necessaries of life would be extended to include taking reasonable steps to protect a child or vulnerable adult from injury.
Mr Power said the proposals closed worrying gaps in the law.
"The new offence of failing to protect a child or vulnerable adult will hold accountable household members who fail to notify authorities of abuse," he said.
"It will no longer be an excuse to say you were not involved in the abuse. Standing by and doing nothing makes you involved, and this bill makes that clear.
"Such people must and will be held accountable for their lack of action where our most vulnerable are involved."
Mr Power said whether neighbours of a victim could be charged would depend on the household.
The issue of proximity would be addressed by the select committee.
"At present, there is a gap in the law that allows people effectively to turn a blind eye if they don't have a legal parental or care responsibility for children," he said.
"I'm not going to stand by and let that loophole be exploited."
The bill also address other aspects of the Crimes Act, including introducing harsher penalties for possession of a weapon, tightening the rules of prosecution around sexual grooming and clarifying the claim of right defence.
NZPA