Victims of Sexual Offending Don’t Benefit from Long Sentence

Key Justice Experts Agree Victims of Sexual Offending Often Don’t Benefit from Long Sentences

A majority of key crime and justice representatives at a workshop held at Victoria University this week agreed that long prison sentences for sexual offending are often not beneficial for victims.

“Participants agreed that the focus on lengthy sentences of imprisonment for all offenders of sexual violence prevents meaningful exploration of alternative processes for resolving (and reducing) this type of criminal conduct. It is not the case that all victims wish the offender to be imprisoned—especially when they have an ongoing relationship—and this may actually prevent victims reporting abuse.

“Further, there is very little incentive for offenders to admit the offending, apologise for their behaviour and promise not to re-offend (even if this may be all the victim wants) when doing so risks them being imprisoned for seven to eight years.”

Held at Victoria University’s Faculty of Law, the workshop explored issues about pre-trial and trial process reform in cases of sexual offending based on proposals from a Law Foundation-funded project undertaken by three law academics—Yvette Tinsley and Associate Professor Elisabeth McDonald from Victoria University and Professor Jeremy Finn from Canterbury University.

Workshop participants also heard from experts from a range of relevant disciplines. They were also addressed by the Minister of Justice Simon Power, former Court of Appeal Judge and ex-President of the Law Commission Sir Bruce Robertson, and by survivor advocates Louise Nicholas and Sandz Peipi-Te-Pou.

Attending the workshop were representatives from police, the Law Commission, government departments and the defence bar, prosecutors, judges, MPs, survivor advocates, Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care, Project Restore and other community groups.

Final recommendations arising from the Law Foundation-funded study and the workshop will be published later this year.

ENDS

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