Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

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 or keeping someone against their will to marry them, be in a civil union with them, or have sex with them is against the law.”

If you take someone away or keep them somewhere without their permission, or if you trick them or force them to agree, you can get in big trouble. This is called abduction. You might do this because:

You want to marry or have a civil union with the person.

You want to have sex with the person.

You want the person to marry, have a civil union, or have sex with someone else.

If you do any of these things, you could go to jail for up to 14 years. This is a very serious crime, and the law wants to protect people from being forced into marriage, civil unions, or sexual situations they don’t want.

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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 law
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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.”

Next

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 8 Crimes against the person
Abduction, kidnapping

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

  1. 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,—

  2. with intent to go through a form of marriage or civil union with P; or
    1. with intent to have sexual connection with P; or
      1. 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 , by section 29 of the Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018 (2018 No 47).