Australia urged to improve system coordination to aid sexual abuse survivors

Regulators and commissioners at the International Freedom from Sexual Violence Summit in Melbourne emphasized the need for greater coordination among family, health, education, and justice systems to better support survivors of sexual violence, camdencourier.com.au reported.

Australia's Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin highlighted that lack of collaboration across state boundaries and service systems often causes the greatest harm to victim-survivors, according to canberratimes.com.au.

Ms. Cronin is working to improve system collaboration and is reviewing over 3,000 recommendations from royal commissions, coronial inquests, and inquiries over the past decade, armidaleexpress.com.au noted.

She warned that Australia is not making sufficient progress in combating sexual violence, with harm increasing and many communities experiencing disproportionate levels of sexual violence not adequately represented in current data.

The communities mentioned include First Nations people, disabled individuals, LGBTQI+ persons, those in prisons or institutions, and older populations, highlighting gaps in data collection and support services.

The summit concluded after three days of discussions involving victim-survivors, researchers, advocates, experts, and service providers, all calling for systemic change to enhance sexual safety for children and women across Australia.