Working Groups and a new Workplace Reference Group have been established as part of the Territory’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Yvette Berry announced the appointment of Renée Leon as Chair of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Steering Committee.
“In this role, Ms Leon will work with Steering Committee representatives and the Groups to drive reform in the ACT and advise on key priorities for future work and action by Government,” Ms Berry said.
“This work will be inclusive and intersectional about experiences from across the community, including from people with a disability, children and young people, the LGBTIQ+ community, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and communities that are culturally and linguistically diverse,” she said.
“Each Working Group is time-limited and has a targeted focus.”
Ms Berry said the new Workplace Reference Group would provide input to all three Working Groups and focus specifically on workplace issues to represent the perspective of workers and workplace safety.
The Minister said the Prevention Working Group would focus on driving systemic and cultural change; the Response Working Group would focus on service provision and police responses; and the Law Reform Working Group would focus on progressing the parliamentary agreement commitment to reform consent laws and other sexual assault law reform.
She said each Working Group would provide expert advice to the Steering Committee, which would in turn consider the advice when deciding its independent recommendations.
Ms Berry said Ms Leon was previously the Chief Executive of the ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate and was well regarded for her work in sexual assault reform.
