 (see below)

This abolished the legal concept of buggery under the age of 17 and replaced it with a new offence of 'defilement of a child'.Buggery over the age of 17 had been abolished by the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993.The term 'defilement of a child' was gender neutral and this covered sexual intercourse with any person under the age of 17.