Web resource:	http://awava.org.au/2017/05/19/research/sexual-violence-law-reform-access-justice
Type:	Report
Title:	Sexual violence : law reform and access to justice. Issues paper
Authors:	Australian Women Against Violence Alliance
Keywords:	Sexual abuse;Sexual assault;Legal issues;Australia;Sexual violence;Criminal justice responses
Topic:	Sexual violence
Year:	2017
Publisher:	AWAVA
Notes:	"In Australia, sexual violence is recognised as a serious crime and an extreme violation of human rights in which the Australian Government has an obligation to exercise 'due diligence' in establishing effective measures to prevent, investigate and prosecute such cases of violence. The criminal justice system remains the primary institution for responding to sexual violence offences and over the years there has been increased awareness that survivors/victims experiences of the criminal justice system must improve if they are to pursue and access justice for these crimes. As such, reforms have been made to sexual assault law and policy to redress some of shortcomings of the system to improve the situation of sexual assault survivors in the criminal justice system and to increase the low reporting rates and poor practices that lead to the unnecessary attrition of sexual assault cases. However, despite some advances, research indicates that these reforms have not translated into significant change at an operational level and shortcomings of the system continue to undermine and restrict survivors/victims ability to access protection, redress and justice for these crimes. In many instances, institutional biases against survivors/victims of violence persists and survivors/victims are often re-traumatised and placed at a heightened risk of further violence when seeking protection through the criminal justice process. In addition, reporting rates remain low, attrition rates are high and low conviction rates persist. This document build on AWAVA's work on access to justice and deals mainly with sexual assaults involving adults (not children). It is recognised, however, that sexual abuse of children is a related but distinct topic requiring sensitive, well-informed attention from services and policy-makers. It is also acknowledged that human trafficking into the sex industry constitutes a form of sexual violence and that access to justice for survivors/victims of trafficking is extremely limited. Although relevant to the matters discussed here, the specific legal and social issues involved in human trafficking are largely beyond the scope of this paper." See more: http://awava.org.au/2017/05/19/research/sexual-violence-law-reform-access-justice
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/20239
Appears in Collections:	Reports

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