SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT 1956

Part I provides details on offences, and the prosecution and punishment of offences.  Intercourse by force is provided for in Sections 1 – 4.  Intercourse with girls under thirteen is provided for in Section 5 and intercourse with a girl between thirteen and sixteen is set out under Section 6.  Incest is provided for in Section 10 – 11.

Assaults are addressed in Section 14 – 16.  This includes indecent assault on a woman (s. 14), indecent assault on a man (s. 15) and assault with intent to commit buggery (s. 16).

Provisions relating to abduction are set out in Section 17 – 21.  This includes abduction of woman by force or for the sake of her property (s. 17), fraudulent abduction of heiress from parent or guardian (s. 18), abduction of unmarried girl under eighteen from parent or guardian (s. 19), abduction of unmarried girl under sixteen from parent or guardian (s. 20) and abduction of defective from parent or guardian.

Provisions on prostitution, procuration etc. are addressed in Sections 22 – 31.  This includes causing prostitution of women (s. 22), procuration of a girl under 21 (s. 23), detention of a woman in a brothel or other premises (s. 24), permitting a girl under thirteen to use premises for intercourse (s. 25), permitting girl between thirteen and sixteen to use premises for intercourse (s. 26) and causing or encouraging prostitution of, intercourse with, or indecent assault on a girl under sixteen (s. 28).

Section 38 provides the courts with powers in case of incest with girl under twenty one.

Interpretation is provided for under Section 44 – 47.

SCHEDULES

First Schedule – Rights of landlord where tenant convicted of permitting use of premises as brothel.
Second Schedule – Table of offences, with mode of prosecution, punishments etc.
Third Schedule – Consequential amendments of enactments not consolidated.
Fourth Schedule - Repeals