Local advocates welcome landmark win for sexual assault survivors

Women’s and survivor advocacy groups are applauding the Victorian government’s commitment to a new reform they say will reduce the retraumatisation of survivors in the court system. Victorian Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny announced the laws around the option of pre-recorded evidence in court would be expanded to include more victims of sexual assault. “I'll continue speaking with victim-survivors and experts on how to do that,” she said. The government is also set to change laws around access of victim-survivor’s counselling notes and health information in court and banning committal hearings for all sexual offence complainants. The pre-recorded testimony reforms were among 64 recommendations floated by the Australian Law Reform Commission in a 2025 review, and the Victorian Law Reform Commission in 2021. With pre-recorded testimony, survivors can give evidence to the court once, outside of a formal courtroom setting months or years prior to a trial commencing, regardless of delays. It was recently backed by 20 gender equity, sexual assault and community legal organisations, including Centre Against Violence (CAV) Wangaratta, Women’s Health Goulburn North East and Hume Riverina Community Legal Service in an open letter to Premier Jacinta Allan. The letter was written by Northern Victoria MP Georgie Purcell and described the reform as long overdue. Wangaratta CAV welcomed the state government’s commitment, describing it as a positive step towards reducing harm within the justice system Chief executive officer Jaime Chubb said the reform has the potential to significantly ease the burden on victim-survivors navigating court processes. “We regularly hear from people in our community that the court process can prolong trauma, particularly when they are required to hold onto their story for months or years before giving evidence,” she said. “Many victim-survivors tell us they feel unable to move forward while legal proceedings are ongoing… being able to record their evidence earlier could provide a greater sense of closure and control.” Currently in Victoria, children and people with disabilities have specific provision to pre-record. For other adult complainants, applications can be made to pre-record evidence in any matter where the witness will be unavailable; where the parties agree and for any other reason the court considers appropriate. Ms Chubb said while the reform was a welcome step, important questions remain about how it will be implemented in practice. “This is a positive reform, but it will not resolve all the barriers victim-survivors face in accessing justice,” she said. “There are still significant challenges in reporting, investigation, and prosecution that need to be addressed. “We would be keen to understand more about how this model will work, including eligibility, how cross-examination will be managed, and how changes in a person’s memory over time will be handled. “Ultimately, reforms like this are about reducing retraumatisation and giving victim-survivors more autonomy; this is a meaningful step in that direction, but it must be part of broader systemic change.”

Local advocates welcome landmark win for sexual assault survivors

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