Sexual Assault Services Victoria 2026-2027 Budget Submission
Sexual Assault Services Victoria (SASVic) is the peak body for specialist sexual assault and harmful sexual behaviour services in Victoria. We work to promote rights, recovery and respect for all those impacted by sexual violence and harm, including children and young people.
Sexual violence is widespread in Victoria. According to the latest Victorian crime data, recorded sexual offences have increased by 23.7% since 2023.
Research tells us that sexual violence is under-reported and that these figures are just the tip of the iceberg. SASVic's members are receiving daily calls from concerned teachers and parents seeking guidance and support. We've also seen an increase in 'mass perpetration events' where one person causes sexual harm to many people. It is vital that the Victorian Government takes meaningful action now.
We're calling on the Victorian Government to invest in rights, recovery and respect for survivors of sexual violence.
Rights
When we ask survivors to report sexual violence, support services, police and the justice system must be ready to respond. We must strive for a system that upholds survivor rights, is easy to engage with, and supports recovery, preventing further harm.
The Justice Navigator pilot program, funded as part of the Women's Safety Package, will be invaluable in supporting victim survivors to navigate a complex justice system and exercise their rights. We look forward to this pilot being a success and expanded across the state.
But further reform is needed to improve survivor experiences of the justice system. Drawing on recommendations from previous inquiries and success overseas, we continue to advocate for the following low-cost reforms:
an independent expert review of police and prosecution decisions not to prosecute sexual violence offences
giving all survivors the option to give pre-recorded evidence (without an application to a judge)
strengthened tendency and coincidence laws so survivors don't have to start from scratch when the perpetrator has already been found guilty of similar offences
keeping survivors' counselling notes private by protecting them from defence subpoenas.
In order to improve community trust in the justice system we must better understand why sexual violence cases don't proceed and how new laws (including affirmative consent and non-fatal strangulation) are being implemented.
We recommend the Victorian Government fund SASVic to:
partner with Victoria Police to establish a world-leading collaborative centre for sexual violence data analysis to improve responses to sexual violence.
Recovery
Sexual violence causes profound and long-lasting harm. It can undermine survivors’ self-perception, relationships, and their sense of safety. We must build Victoria's capacity to intervene early when harm occurs, respond quickly to 'mass perpetration events' and help facilitate recovery.
SASVic and our members strive to give survivors the best chance of recovery by providing timely, high-quality support to specialist recovery supports and services. We are currently exploring improvements to the sector's funding model to allow services to deliver a wider range of accessible recovery options including peer support and group work.
We recommend that the Victorian Government bolster the capacity, sustainability and accessibility of the sector by providing:
a minimum of 4 years guaranteed funding to all specialist sexual assault and harmful sexual behavior services including for the peak body, SASVic
funding for specialist sexual assault services to meet demand, with harmful sexual behaviour and child sexual exploitation becoming more common
funding to meet the demand that we expect to increase as a result of work done to dismantle access barriers for survivors from migrant and refugee backgrounds
equitable funding for specialist sexual assault service workers (equivalent to family violence therapeutic counselling)
funding for sexual violence-specific Disability Practice Lead roles.
First responses matter. 'Mass perpetration events' involving more than one perpetrator and sometime many hundreds of victims, are becoming more common. When they occur, the specialist sexual assault sector must be able to respond quickly and consistently across the state.
We recommend that the Victorian Government fund SASVic to:
develop a statewide sexual violence crisis response model for mass perpetration events that occur in early childhood education, in schools and online, led by the specialist sexual assault sector
develop and deliver a 'train the trainer' model on identifying 'grooming' behaviours and responding to child sexual abuse for educators across Victoria
work with our partners in the alcohol and other drug, mental health and criminal justice sectors to give survivors a consistent, sexual violence trauma-informed response regardless of where they first seek help
partner with Seniors Rights Victoria and COTA Australia to strengthen responses, referral processes and support for older people who have experienced historic or recent sexual violence in aged care settings or at home, including evaluation
establish a dedicated Education Liaison role to resource our growing work with the Department of Education.
Respect
Specialist sexual assault services see sexual violence trends early, such as the recent increase in non-fatal strangulation and sexualised deepfakes. However, our ability to use this expertise to intervene, conduct research and develop best practice is inhibited by the sector's outdated data system.
Modernising our data infrastructure should be the priority for governments seeking to prevent sexual violence through proactive and cost-efficient action.
We recommend that the Victorian Government fund SASVic to:
assess the sector's data infrastructure needs and scope, and develop a new system that informs continuous service improvement
use new research to develop, trial and evaluate new prevention approaches specifically focused on reducing sexual violence and child sexual abuse
build the capacity and plan for the future of the specialist sexual assault workforce by continuing vital funding that is set to end in the next financial year.