Our Projects

Victorian Government Consultation 2023

---

We are currently working with the Victorian Government who has contracted our team to provide expert advice on the design considerations for an online reporting pathway for sexual violence, as reccomended by the Victorian Law Reform Commission.

The Victorian Government committed investment for the design of an online reporting pathway as part of the 2022-23 State budget.

Our team is working closely with the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), Victoria Police and Sexual Assault Services Victoria and will lead consultation with victim-survivors and other key stakeholders to inform recommendations for design.

---

Our project team completed a two year project from 2020-2022, funded by the Australian Institute of Criminology where we examined the use and potentials of anonymous sexual assault reporting options for criminal justice and survivor outcomes.

We engaged with key organizations such as Victoria Police, New South Wales Police, the South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault, Rape and Domestic Violence Services New South Wales, and the Brisbane Rape and Incest Survivors Support Centre, to gather insights and identify ways to enhance these mechanisms.

We also consulted with victim-survivors of sexual assault to better understand how alternative reporting mechanisms could address their justice and therapeutic needs.

Overall, we found that alternative reporting options serve as an “in-between” pathway for survivors who may be hesitant to engage with police. These options allow survivors to tell their story in their own words, providing autonomy and control. They also assist police with intelligence gathering in unique ways. However, we also found that completing an alternative reporting form can be traumatic without therapeutic support.

Our final research report is due to be released in early 2023.