Patterned characteristics of continued and discontinued sexual assault...
This article presents an in-depth analysis of police sexual assault case files in Victoria to provide insight into the differences between continued and discontinued complaints. Victoria Police...
View ArticleNot worth reporting: women's experiences of alcohol, drugs and sexual violence
While it is an offence under the British Sexual Offences Act 2003 to administer a substance with the intent of incapacitating someone in order to sexually assault them, the law is less clear when...
View ArticleImproving police response to sexual assault
This report looks at how the police response to sexual assault in the United States can be improved by promoting a victim-centered approach.
View ArticleAcquaintance rape of college students
"Rape is one of the most common violent crimes on American college campuses today . This guide describes the problem of acquaintance rape of college students, addressing its scope, causes, and...
View ArticleFemale victims of sexual violence, 1994-2010
"[This paper] presents trends in the rate of completed or attempted rape or sexual assault against females from 1995 to 2010. The report examines demographic characteristics of female victims of sexual...
View ArticleWomen's access to justice: from reporting to sentencing
This report examines the responses of the criminal justice system to female victims of violence. It argues that many women do not have adequate access to justice, and that the criminal justice system...
View ArticleBeyond doubt: the experiences of people with disabilities reporting crime :...
This report examines the experiences of people with disabilities reporting crime in Victoria, including the barriers to reporting and the responses of police and the legal system. People with...
View ArticleAustralian crime: facts and figures 2013.
This compendium provides a snapshot of trends and patterns in crime and criminal justice in Australia in 2012. It presents statistics on different types of recorded crime, their place of occurrence,...
View ArticleCounting the costs of crime in Australia: a 2011 estimate
This report provides updated estimates on the costs of crime in Australia. It discusses prior research, data sources, estimating crime, and methodological issues, and examines the medical costs,...
View ArticleRape and sexual assault victimization among college-age females, 1995-2013
[This paper compares the characteristics of rape and sexual assault victimisation against American young women aged 18 to 24. Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), it compares...
View ArticleEvaluation of Victoria Police SOCIT-MDC reforms for sexual assault investigation
In 2006, Victoria introduced new reforms relating to police responses to sexual offences and child abuse. Overall, the reforms were designed to improve the investigation of sexual offences, reduce...
View ArticleLegal representation for sexual assault victims - possibilities for law reform?
This article considers the benefits of legal representation for sexual assault victims and whether this could be introduced into law in Australia. It explores whether granting sexual assault victims...
View ArticleEvaluation of Support to Report Pilot Advocacy Service: summary report
"This summary report details the findings of an evaluation of the Support to Report (S2R) pilot advocacy service. The service was introduced to provide support to victims/survivors of rape at the...
View ArticleReport and recommendations
The Royal Commission into Family Violence was appointed in February 2015 to investigate how best to reduce and prevent family violence in Victoria and support those affected. In particular, its task...
View ArticleSexual assault: your rights and the law
This booklet provides legal advice and information for women and girls who have recently been sexually assaulted. It explains what sexual assault means, consent and harassment, how to obtain medical...
View ArticleAustralian crime: facts and figures 2014.
This compendium provides a snapshot of trends and patterns in crime and criminal justice in Australia in 2014. It presents statistics on different types of recorded crime, their place of occurrence,...
View ArticleVictim/survivor-focused justice responses and reforms to criminal court...
Reforms have been underway over the last three decades to address the disadvantages that victim/survivors of sexual assault face within the criminal justice system in Australia. Such reforms include...
View ArticleInnovative justice responses to sexual offending: pathways to better outcomes...
This report investigates innovative justice responses to sexual offending, as alternatives to the current, inadequate responses of the criminal justice system in Victoria. New processes are needed that...
View ArticleEqual before the law: towards disability justice strategies
Though equality before the law is a basic tenet of human rights, that equality is not always available for Australians with disabilities in the criminal justice system. This report highlights examples...
View ArticleThe justice response to victims of sexual violence: criminal trials and...
Some figures suggest that as many as 80% of sexual violence offences in New Zealand go unreported - with a significant number of victims 'opting out' of the very system that is supposed to recognise...
View ArticleRape justice : beyond the criminal law.
This book explores innovative justice responses to sexual violence both within and outside the legal system, from Australia and overseas. Chapters include: The promise and paradox of justice: rape...
View ArticleWhat would a feminist judge do? Considerations in sexual offence cases.
The presumption that rape victims are particularly unreliable victims was developed by male judges centuries ago, and the legal rules around rape cases reflect and sustain these myths and stereotypes....
View ArticleA little judicial direction : can the use of jury directions challenge...
In Victoria, jury directions on consent provide an opportunity for judges and the prosecution to address persistent and harmful myths about sexual offending and women victims which can bias a jury and...
View ArticleRethinking rape law reform : challenges and possibilities.
Despite 40 years of rape law reforms across the jurisdictions of Australia, this chapter argues that the primary challenge for law reform has yet to be addressed: namely, to better support the justice...
View ArticleWomen, disability and violence: barriers to accessing justice : final report
This report explores how women with disability seek justice, redress, and support after experiencing violence - particularly sexual assault and intimate partner violence - and the pathways and barriers...
View ArticleWomen, disability and violence: barriers to accessing justice : key findings...
This paper highlights key findings and policy implications from a recent study into how women with disability seek justice, redress, and support after experiencing violence - particularly sexual...
View ArticleEggshell skull : a memoir about standing up, speaking out and fighting back.
This memoir looks at the Australian legal system, based on the author's experiences as the daughter of a policeman, a law student, a judge's associate, and then as complainant in a sexual assault case.
View ArticleThe significance of 'intoxication' in Australian criminal law
"This study explores how the state of 'intoxication' from the consumption of alcohol or other drugs is treated by the criminal justice system in Australia. The authors analysed more than 500 statutory...
View ArticleReport on review of ways to reduce distress of victims in trials of sexual...
The British Government is committed to improving how the justice system responds to crime, including its responses to the victims of sexual violence. The findings of their recent Sexual Violence...
View ArticleRape law in context : contesting the scales of injustice.
This book looks at the state of the law on rape in Australia, expanding upon the 1998 book 'Balancing the scales: rape, law reform and Australian culture'. A particular theme is 'contestation', which...
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