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Act index » Part I - Offences » Division 1 - Offences against the person » Subdivision (9) - Child stealing
63 Child stealing
(1)Whosoever unlawfully either by force or fraud leads or takes away or decoys or entices away or detains any child under the age of sixteen years, with intent to deprive any parent or guardian or any other person having the lawful care or charge of such child of the possession of such child or with intent to steal any article upon or about the person of such child; and whosoever with any such intent receives or harbors any such child knowing the same to have been by force or fraud led taken decoyed enticed away or detained, shall be guilty of an indictable offence, and shall be liable to level 6 imprisonment (5 years maximum). No person who has claimed any right to the possession of such child, or is the mother or has claimed to be the father of an illegitimate child, shall be liable to be prosecuted under this or the next succeeding subsection on account of the getting possession of such child or taking such child out of the possession of any person having the lawful care or charge thereof.
S. 63(1) amended by Nos 9576 s. 11(1), 49/1991 s. 119(1) (Sch. 2 item 30(a)), 48/1997 s. 60(1)(Sch. 1 item 39(a)).
(2)Whosoever unlawfully takes decoys or entices away any child under the age of sixteen years out of the possession and against the will of the child's parent or guardian or of any other person having the lawful care or charge of the child shall be guilty of an indictable offence, and shall be liable to level 6 imprisonment (5 years maximum).
S. 63(2) amended by Nos 9576 s. 11(1), 49/1991 s. 119(1) (Sch. 2 item 30(b)), 48/1997 s. 60(1)(Sch. 1 item 39(b)).