Sexual assault survivors to help improve justice system

• Review into justice responses to sexual offending open for comment
• Examination of criminal justice system will focus on victim-survivor experiences
• Landmark project to map journey from reporting a crime to offender's release

The Western Australian Government is urging victim-survivors of sexual offending to contribute to a review of the treatment of victims by the criminal justice system.

The 'end-to-end' review being conducted by the Office of the Commissioner for Victims of Crime in the Department of Justice is now open for submissions.

It will map out how victim-survivors are treated by justice-related agencies, starting with reporting their crime to police, all the way through to the laying and prosecution of charges, the court process, and the release of an offender on parole.

Issues to be explored include:

• the experiences of adult victim-survivors of sexual offending and how the justice system can be improved,
• why sex offences are under-reported and why some victim-survivors withdraw from the process,
• alternative methods of resolving sexual offending complaints, including restorative justice, and
• how more victim support can be built into the system.

All Western Australians are welcome to take part in the review's public comment period, which will run for two months and close on 9 October 2023.

A series of discussion papers are available for anyone wanting to explore the issue in more detail before making a submission. These can be accessed at https://consultations.justice.wa.gov.au

A report will be presented to the Attorney General in May 2024.

Comments attributed to Attorney General John Quigley:

"The State Government is listening to the concerns of all victim-survivors of sexual offending whatever their background or circumstances.

"I commend the resilience of all those who have experienced sexual offending.

"Now is the time for their voices to be heard through a submission, which will help us make the criminal justice system safer and more supportive for victim-survivors.

"I assure all Western Australians that they will be listened to and treated with respect if they choose to take part in the review."

Comments attributed to Women's Interests Minister Sue Ellery:

"Research has shown that women are most often victims of sexual violence in WA.

"I would encourage all women and girls to make their voices heard.

"We are particularly interested to hear from victims about where the points of difficulty were in their justice journey, and how their experiences might shape future improvements to the justice system.

"I also urge all interested parties to participate in the consultation process of the State's inaugural Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy, to help prevent sexual violence and improve outcomes for victim-survivors."