ABSTRACT
The origins of the modern law of indecent assault can be traced back to the middle of the 19th century, when the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 created an offence of indecent assault on a woman and a second offence of indecent assault on a man. These two offences are contained now in ss 14 and 15 respectively of the Sexual Offences Act 1956, which provide as follows:
14(1) It is an offence, subject to the exception mentioned in sub-s (3) of this section, for a person to make an indecent assault on a woman.
