Child welfare bill change excuses mandatory reporting of teen assaults

Nova Scotia Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard is going to amend a bill she introduced this past spring to remove what she calls "an unintended consequence" of the proposed law.

Bill 112 extends provincial child protection laws to teens up to 19 years old. Currently that protection is only afforded to children 15 years old or younger.

But one part of the bill states that anyone who knows a child who has been assaulted has a legal obligation to report it to authorities.

Bernard said Thursday, universities and groups such as the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre have told her that clause may make teen victims of sexual assault even more reluctant to talk to anyone about it.

She said it wouldn't make sense to involve the child welfare system in a case such as a date rape or any other assault that doesn't involve a family member.

"We know that reporting of sexual assault in the province is low and we never want to put the added challenge of involving child welfare, a child welfare system, in perhaps a situation that doesn't warrant a child welfare situation just because of their age," she said.

Bernard still plans to push ahead with the other provisions of the proposed law to ensure older teens are afforded the protection of the province in cases of neglect or family abuse.