Working Chance’s Post

The majority of the women who end up in the criminal justice system should have been protected by it first. Abuse and criminalisation often go hand in hand, so to keep women out of the justice system, we need to first address the harm that happens at the hands of a partner. Advance has published new recommendations to improve prosecutions and convictions of domestic abuse. The report sets out key recommendations including emphasising the need for gender-informed support from specialist services to women arrested for domestic abuse incidents. https://t.co/Eik2tnjHSa #HerStoryHerJustice #CriminalJusticeReform #Women #Girls

ECLC welcomes introduction of the proposed reforms from The Crime Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024 that were announced recently. Of importance, “past sexual reputation is now inadmissible for all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.” The reforms were introduced to improve the experience of victims and survivors of sexual violence in the justice system and implement a number of outstanding recommendations from the 2017 Final Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, while supporting the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse (2021-2030) https://lnkd.in/gc3YwHvS The reforms aim to support victims and survivors engaged in the Commonwealth criminal justice system, while maintaining due process protections and ensuring that defendants continue to be tried fairly and impartially. The reforms were developed in consultation with stakeholders, including victims and survivors and their advocates. Read the official media release here: https://lnkd.in/gVUMCrg9

Recent judicial commentary about sexual violence cases in NSW Courts is of great concern. The comments allege systemic failures in the prosecution of sexual violence matters. This is extremely harmful and falls well outside of the scope of the judiciary. Some of the judicial comments, and resultant media coverage, reinforce harmful, false rape myths and victim blaming. This creates more barriers for victim-survivors seeking justice. We know that rates of sexual violence remain high, while rates of reporting are low. The comments also contradict the evidence and the spirit of NSW's affirmative consent laws, passed in 2022, with bipartisan support, after the hard work of advocates, service providers and victim-survivors. Anyone commenting about the justice system—including judges and the media—should always consider the impacts on victim-survivors. To all victim-survivors - we stand alongside you, always, and our trauma-specialist counsellors are available 24/7 at 1800 FULL STOP (1800 385 578).

Nearly 1 in 5 crimes recorded by the police are domestic abuse related. Many more cases go unreported, with women afraid to report or lacking confidence in the criminal justice system. Behind those facts are individual stories – of pain, of heartbreak, of women failed. While there may have been an increased focus on violence against women and girls in the media and in politics, things are not changing fast enough. There must be a stronger commitment to addressing the legal and psychosocial needs of victims and survivors of GBV. The authorities must prioritise addressing GBV on par with other societal issues, recognising that prevention, not just response, is crucial, alongside addressing the systemic corruption often associated with it. Advocacy, support services, and changes in societal attitudes are crucial to create a safer environment for all. Let's continue working towards a society where everyone feels safe and empowered to seek help when needed. #BerthasLegacy #StopViolenceAgainstWomen #EndTheSilence #JusticeForSurvivors #BreakTheSilence #DomesticViolenceAwareness

Courts must be ready to foster justice in unique cases of gender-based violence. Today I talk at the country’s largest Conference on Crimes Against Women about equipping judges to handle these cases. #ccaw2024

This interesting article uses qualitative data to understand the reasons survivors often decide not to report sexual violence. One of the prominent themes found was a lack of trust in the criminal justice system. https://lnkd.in/dMvKaKCR Parity Lab’s partner organizations are all too familiar with this reason. Systemic violence can often be harsher than interpersonal violence, particularly for women in rural India. Read our white paper to know more: https://lnkd.in/dd3sGgsN

Legislation has passed in Parliament this week that will create a new standalone offence to better protect children aged 16 or 17, from sexual interactions with adults who have them under their care, supervision or authority, such as teachers and health practitioners, with offenders to face a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. The ‘Criminal Justice Legislation (Sexual Violence and Other Matters Amendment Bill ) 2024’ will also improve the court experience for victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence, when they give evidence in court. Proposed changes would allow for expert evidence to be given in criminal sexual offence trials to dispel myths about how victim-survivors might be expected to behave at the time of or after the offence has been committed. This Bill is part of the Queensland Government’s ongoing commitment to address domestic, family and sexual violence, better support victim-survivors and hold people using violence to account. Read more here – https://lnkd.in/gycsuMfG

The NPCC's recent report has brought to light alarming statistics regarding violence against women and girls. With figures revealing an epidemic in England and Wales, and child sexual abuse increasing by nearly 400% over the past decade, it's clear that urgent action is needed.   In my latest blog, I delve into the measures required across governments and societies to combat this national threat. From education and awareness to criminal justice reforms and community engagement, it's time we push forward for generational change.   Read my blog to understand some of the steps we must take to end violence against women and girls. Although the data in the NPCC report relates to policing, we know not all reports are made or shared with the Police, therefore this is our emergent collective call to tackle VAWG for future generations.     #EndViolence #SupportSurvivors #UniteForChange #NPCCReport #HaloProject #WomensRights #CommunitySafety #NationalThreat @livefearfree @haloproject @welshgovernment   Click here to read the recent report: https://lnkd.in/dmgvjK_R

In her latest article for Grazia, Laura Bates highlights the disturbing trend of violent crimes against women, stressing that the real epidemic is male violence, not the tools used. As crime rates surge, Bates calls for an urgent focus on tackling male violence. Read the full article with the link in the comments. #GenderViolence #KeynoteSpeaker

#DYK effective interventions for #women & #girls with drug use disorders in the criminal justice system? Read this conference room paper to find out more! https://lnkd.in/g5pY2VTb #PrisonersMatter #MandelaDay #MandelaDay2024