SASVic acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional and ongoing custodians of the lands on which we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded and recognise First Nations peoples' right to self-determination and continuing connection to land, waters, community and culture.
SASVic also acknowledges victim survivors of sexual violence who we work for every day. We acknowledge the pervasive nature of sexual violence, and the impact that it has on survivors and their communities. We celebrate the powerful advocacy of survivors that is changing systems and policy.
SASVic Member Update
Hi everyone,
First, congratulations to NCASA Manager Caroline Whitehouse for her article in The Conversation about crisis care responses for children (see below). On the topic of crisis responses, we've sent SASVic member service leaders a new survey to fill out about problems for clients trying to access FMEs. We'll use this information as we again ramp up our advocacy on this big problem.
This week, SASVic welcomed two new staff, for two new projects. Welcome to Penny Drysdale, in our new Justice Navigator Project Lead role, and Hannah Webster, also in a new role, Civil Justice Project Lead (more details about what they'll work on below).
Tomorrow we'll have our 'Preventing Sexual Violence - what works?' conversation with Emily Maguire, Michael Salter and Fiona Vera Gray. We've had almost 400 people sign up from every state and territory, and overseas, with lots of people from the specialist sexual assault sector, as well as government, universities and others. It's clear there is a real interest in what we can really do to prevent sexual violence. See you (virtually) there!
Look forward to seeing many of you online tomorrow.
In solidarity,
Kathleen
CEO
SASVic
Contents
Featured
Preventing Sexual Violence - what works? is this Friday!
Make sure to get your ticket for our free prevention event this Friday. Join Emily Maguire, Professor Michael Salter and Kathleen Maltzahn online as they explore approaches to sexual violence prevention. Facilitated by UK sexual violence expert Dr Fiona Vera-Gray, the discussion will draw on our speakers' experience and expertise to explore what works, where the gaps are, and how to respond to the changes and challenges of today.
Date: Friday 28 March
Time: 10.45am - 12.15pm
Location: Online
Federal budget and ALRC funding commitments
On Tuesday, the 2025 - 26 federal budget was released. It includes the government's $21.4 million commitment to fund recommendations from the ALRC report, including $19.6 million to extend the sexual assault legal pilots in Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT and expand them to other jurisdictions.
These pilots will trial non-legal support services, including justice system navigator pilots. While we are pleased that the ALRC has adopted (some of) SASVic's language and framing around Justice Navigators, we are concerned these roles will not sit within specialist sexual assault services around Australia.
As you may know, the Justice Navigator pilot is already underway in Victoria and these roles will sit within the specialist sexual assault sector.
Other highlights from the budget include:
- $534.5 million over 6 years to extend the National Partnership Agreement.
- $82.4 million over 4 years to strengthen responses to high-risk and serial perpetrators of family and domestic violence.
- $81.3 million over 6 years to enhance and expand child centric trauma informed supports for children and young people, and design and implement new and revised initiatives for children and young people with experiences of violence.
- $12.8 over 5 years for a targeted grants program for specialist and community support services to support victim survivors of child sexual abuse and young people who are at risk of harmful sexual behaviours.
Safe and Equal has criticised the budget for its lack of funding for support for victim survivors of family violence.
SASVic welcomes two new staff members
SASVic is delighted to welcome Penny and Hannah to the SASVic team.
Penny Drysdale is starting her role as Justice Navigator Project Lead and will work SASVic members, Family Safety Victoria and other key stakeholders to bring this program to life. Penny brings with her degrees in law and behavioural sciences along with 25 years of experience in leading reforms in relation to domestic, family and sexual violence. Penny developed the first whole-of-government Victorian Women’s Safety Strategy, and has project managed the establishment of a Specialist Sex Offences Unit at the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions which aimed to make the prosecution process more respectful towards victim survivors. Penny has spent the last 15 years working in the Northern Territory as a policy lawyer on domestic violence reform, as well as justice representative on the NT’s DFSV Interagency Co-ordinator and Reform Office.
Hannah Webster is our new Civil Justice Project Lead. She will be undertaking our compensation project funded by the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner. Hannah is a lawyer that brings extensive experience supporting victim survivors of sexual violence, in the form of institutional child sexual abuse, both in the private sector and then in the community legal sector. Hannah brings with her an acute understanding of the dynamics of sexual assault and harm, the role of civil law in providing justice and the importance of a trauma-informed and multidisciplinary service response, including financial counsellors. Hannah has created a manual for support services to assist victim survivors of institutional child sexual abuse to navigate their justice options. Hannah’s most recent role has been as a DJARRA Rights Managing Lawyer and has previously worked at Knowmore Legal Service.
Advocacy & evidence
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to amy.webster@sasvic.org.au
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month begins next week.
If you're planning any events or campaigns over the month, please email comms@sasvic.org.au to let us know!
We'll be using the month to raise awareness about the change we need to see in Victoria in the lead up to the Victorian Budget on 20 May.
A new paper from Northern CASA Manager, Caroline Whitehouse
On 17 March, Caroline Whitehouse, Peter McKenzie and Carmel Hobbs published, 'The First 72 Hours After Child Sexual Assault: Reporting Children, Young People and Mothers' Experiences of Police, Hospital and Psychosocial Care in Victoria'. As part of this research, Caroline interviewed ten children from 4-16 years of age and their parents about their experiences in the hours after an alleged assault. She says, 'This was a small group, but their stories shed light on wider concerns. Addressing them can help put children first in what may be the most traumatic time of their lives.'
Caroline also spoke about this research in The Conversation piece, 'I felt like I was the one in trouble.' Collecting evidence after sexual assault can be scary for children - and the system needs to improve.
Non-Fatal Strangulation Fact Sheet
SASVic has published a new fact sheet on non-fatal strangulation (NFS).
The fact sheet includes definitions and key messages on:
- NFS in the context of sex, sexual assault and family violence
- NFS and serious harm and injury
- responding to NFS
- NFS legislation
- SASVic advocacy.
Please email Monica Campo, monica.campo@sasvic.org.au, if you have any questions.
Insights on young people engaging in harmful and problematic sexual behaviour
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) released a briefing this month titled, 'Insights on young people engaging in harmful and problematic sexual behaviour'.
The briefing uses insight from Childline counselling sessions and NSPCC Helpline child welfare contacts to understand the perspectives of young people engaging in harmful and problematic sexual behaviour.
It found that some of the young people:
- realised they had experienced abuse themselves
- asked sex and relationship questions which demonstrated knowledge gaps around age-appropriate behaviours, consent, and legality
- were having fantasies, thoughts and urges that they wanted to stop and did not want to act on
- felt guilt, regret and shame about past behaviours
- had sought help for their harmful sexual behaviours but had not received it.
The briefing includes quotes from children and young people, and parents.
Legal policy
Please send any questions you have about our work in this area to jacqueline.bell@sasvic.org.au
Survey: Victims' Charter Act Review
The Victims of Crime Commissioner (VOCC) is undertaking a review of the Victims' Charter Act. As part of the review, VOCC has a survey open for victims of crime, closing on Monday (31 March).
If you know someone who would like to share their experience as part of the review, please share the survey with them.
SASVic provided a written submission to this review, highlighting a number of key improvements that would make the Charter more useful, including:
- improved and sexual violence specialised conciliatory mechanisms
- the introduction of appropriately staged enforcement and accountability mechanisms, to encourage and improve compliance
- the introduction of the right to have certain police and prosecution decisions not to prosecute reviewed
- the introduction of other enforceable legal rights of specific relevance to victim survivors of sexual violence, modelled off existing international human rights
- the need for victim centered resources in various formats regarding the Victims' Charter.
Other news
Nominations open for the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards
The Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards recognise and reward good practice in prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia.
The Institute of Criminology is searching for projects of all sizes working toward a safer community that were fully operational before 1 February 2024.
Nominations close Thursday 17 April 2025.
ABC article: Sexual abuse survivor who had his teenage years 'stolen' finds community through group therapy
This past weekend, an ABC article shared Travis Finalyson's experiences of the justice system and accessing support through specialist sexual assault services. Travis is a survivor of child sexual abuse. His abuser was his uncle Arthur Eaton, a primary school teacher convicted of child sexual abuse of children at multiple schools.
In the piece, Travis talks about the counselling that he received from SE CASA and CASA House, and how group therapy was incredibly beneficial to him. He says, 'The way these guys listened to me, I didn't feel like I was being judged. I felt genuinely supported.' The article ends with the 'big learning' he wants to share with other survivors, 'From what we understand, there are a lot of survivors out there who are just walking around, living their life in silence...there are so many things you can do - some go through the judicial process, some sue the institution, some seek therapy. But one size doesn't fit all.'
Donovan Pill, a Counsellor Advocate from CASA House, was also interviewed about group therapy for the piece, 'A lot of the men who come to group sessions are intellectually aware of the statistics that tell them they're not alone, but it doesn't feel real until they get to group. It breaks down the feeling of isolation.'
New training from the NCACSA
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (NCACSA) has launched a new online course, 'Understanding and responding to disclosures of child sexual abuse from children and young people.'
It helps participants to learn about the factors that influence disclosure, develop skills to respond with compassion and understand the role of workers and organisations in creating a safe and supportive environment.
The course is 3 hours long and costs $44.
Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil
The Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil will take place on Wednesday 7 May 2025, National Family Violence Remembrance Day, led by survivors and advocates.
The Vigil will honour and remember the people whose lives have been lost to family violence and provide a platform to share stories of resilience and hope.
Date: Wednesday 7 May 2025
Time: 6 - 6.45pm
Location: Family Violence Memorial Gardens, East Melbourne
Follow SASVic for more updates.
Workforce training
Keep up to date with training and event opportunities for the sector by visiting the SASVic Training Page
Webinars and events
Please check with your manager before registering, where appropriate.
Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil
The Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil will take place on Wednesday 7 May 2025, National Family Violence Remembrance Day, led by survivors and advocates.
Date: Wednesday 7 May 2025
Time: 6 - 6.45pm
Location: Family Violence Memorial Gardens, East Melbourne
Resources and links
SASVic and member details
SASVic organisational structure with staff names and positions
Specialist Sexual Assault Sector Map
Here is a map that helps people find their local specialist sexual assault service.
National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence
SASVic is a member of the National Association of Services Against Sexual Assault (NASASV).
Acronyms
Here is a list of acronyms. Please let us know if you've discovered any more we should add.
FVSV Knowledge Hub
The Family Violence Sexual Violence Knowledge on is a one-stop shop for practitioners, program managers, policymakers and funders to access the latest research, resources, case studies, webinars and training opportunities.