An amendment Bill aiming to reduce the trauma suffered by family violence victim survivors in court proceedings has been introduced into the Legislative Assembly.
Introducing the Family Violence Legislation Amendment Bill 2022, Attorney-General, Shane Rattenbury said the Bill also sought to strengthen sentencing options for perpetrators of family violence.
“Domestic and family violence claims the lives of more than 100 people in Australia every year,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“It sets off a damaging ripple that hurts not only individuals, but our society as a whole,” he said.
“Victim survivors have shared their lived experiences and, too often, the criminal justice process is a re-traumatisation that victim survivors endure.”
Mr Rattenbury said key priorities of the Bill included reducing barriers for victim survivors to access justice and introducing more effective mechanisms to ensure family violence offenders were held to account.
The Attorney-General said the Bill would create an aggravated offence scheme that allowed expanded penalties for certain offences when committed in the context of family violence; limit cross-examination on the contents of Victim Impact Statements; insert new aggravated family violence offences into the schedule of disqualifying offences Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011; and create a legislative requirement to review the Family Violence Act 2016 every three years.
“We must ensure family violence legislation provides the greatest protection possible for victims and appropriate consequences for offenders,” he said.
“I believe these reforms will improve victim survivors’ experience with the justice system.”
Mr Rattenbury said that, in response to Grace Tame’s continued advocacy, the Bill would also change the name of the offence of ‘sexual relationship with child or young person under special care’ to ‘persistent sexual abuse of child or young person under special care’.
