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Sexual assault survivors must be at heart of justice system
One thing is beyond reasonable doubt – the criminal legal system is ill-equipped to adequately respond to sexual violence.
Recent events in the national spotlight show us that now more than ever before, we need a new way to address sexual assault.
- Thea Deakin-Greenwood and Jane Bolitho
- The Age
The criminal legal system sets the bar impossibly high for successful prosecution and conviction in almost all sexual crimes.
But even when a conviction is achieved and “justice” is seen to be done, the needs of survivors are rarely met and people exit the system often more distressed than when they started.
About nine in 10 women who…