Victim-survivors deserve to be heard, believed and protected.
Their voices must be at the centre of our justice system and Labor is making it happen.
Labor’s reforms to protect all victim-survivors of family and sexual violence have today passed Parliament, meaning:
- Coercive control will become a criminal offence
- Offenders won’t be able to rely on ‘good character’ references to lessen their sentence
- Discrimination against victims of family violence will be unlawful
- Victim-survivors will have broader access to relief when fines are weaponised against them by their perpetrator
- Grooming will be prohibited under the Personal Safety Intervention Order framework
- Imprisonment warrants for unpaid fines issued under now repealed legislation will be void
- Begging will be decriminalised.
Victoria has some of the strongest legal protections for victim-survivors in the nation, but we know there is more to do.
That’s why the Attorney-General has also established the Victim Survivor Justice Advisory Group.
The group of experts will drive further reforms to strengthen the justice system’s response to family and sexual violence.
The first meeting will be convened later this month, and their first priority is to consult on and design reform to:
- strengthen protections to ensure victim-survivors counselling records and health information cannot be used in court without their consent
- give victim-survivors of sexual violence the choice to pre-record their evidence.
These reforms will be introduced by a re-elected Carroll Labor Government in 2027.
A distinct Lived Experience Reference Group will work with the Advisory Group to shape its advice.
While Labor is listening to victim-survivors, Jess Wilson’s Liberal-One Nation Coalition is promising $40 billion in cuts.
That only means one thing: slashing the frontline services that are keeping victim-survivors safe.
As stated by Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny
“Today, we’ve turned victim-survivors’ voices into law – strengthening protections and closing loopholes to hold perpetrators to account.”
“Now we are bringing experts to the table to make sure we continue to change the law to ensure our justice system is protecting victim-survivors. We will keep listening, keep acting and keep putting their safety first.”
