Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Abduction, kidnapping

208: Abduction for purposes of marriage or civil union or sexual connection

You could also call this:

"Taking someone away without their consent for marriage, a civil union, or sex is against the law"

If you take someone away or keep them without their consent, you can get in trouble with the law. This can happen if you trick or force them into going with you. You might do this to marry them, be in a civil union with them, or have sexual connection with them. You can also get in trouble if you take someone to make them marry or be in a civil union with someone else, or to have sexual connection with someone else. The law says you can go to prison for up to 14 years if you do this.

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This page was last updated on 4 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329771.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Criminal lawFamily and relationships > Marriage and partnerships

207A: Coerced marriage or civil union, or

"It's against the law to force someone to marry or enter a civil union by scaring, threatening, or hurting them."

209: Kidnapping, or

"Taking or keeping someone against their will or by tricking them, to ask for money, lock them up, or send them overseas is against the law."

Part 8Crimes against the person
Abduction, kidnapping

208Abduction for purposes of marriage or civil union or sexual connection

Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who unlawfully takes away or detains a person (P) without P’s consent or with P’s consent obtained by fraud or duress,—
with intent to go through a form of marriage or civil union with P; or
with intent to have sexual connection with P; or
with intent to cause P to go through a form of marriage or civil union, or to have sexual connection, with some other person.

Compare

1908 No 32 s 226

Notes

Section 208: replaced, on 3 December 2018, by section 29 of the Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018 (2018 No 47).