New online rape reporting portal to cut red tape for survivors

Traumatised victims of sexual violence will now be able to lodge a report to police online, replacing a system that saw survivors completing a 14-page form detailing their ordeal.

Traumatised victims of sexual violence will now be able to lodge a report to police online, replacing an archaic system that saw survivors completing a 14-page form detailing their ordeal.

NSW Police will on Friday unveil a new online reporting option for rape survivors who want to provide information without taking part in a formal police interview.

The overhauled system will allow victims to upload images and screenshots of conversations with perpetrators, including evidence of contact via dating apps.

Police and the government hope the system will allow victims to have more control over how their matter is dealt with, and the portal will give them the option of remaining anonymous or requesting a follow-up from police.

Police Minister Paul Toole said the advancement in the online reporting system put victims of sexual assault first when reporting and investigating the crimes.

Full Stop Australia CEO Hayley Foster. Picture: Richard Dobson

Police Minister Paul Toole. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“While we want to stop would-be perpetrators before it’s too late, it’s absolutely critical we take a victim-focused approach to supporting those involved,” he said.

“This online portal will empower victims of sexual assault to take the first step and record their sexual assault, whether or not they wish at a later date to have the matter investigated.”

For more than a decade, police have acknowledged that many victims of sexual assault may not wish to go through the legal process and given them the option to make a report without the obligation of a follow-up inquiry.

The number of reports made under the system has continued to rise each year, with the monthly average increasing from 64 reports in 2021 to 70 in 2022.

The new portal — available in a dozen languages — will now replace the tedious process of printing out a 14-page document and emailing the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said this was an important step forward to help victim-survivors of sexual violence retain control over their level of contact with police and what happens next.

“For many victim-survivors, a police investigation and court process are the farthest thing from their mind and often they feel further traumatised through the process,” Ms Webb said.

“We understand and recognise that a successful prosecution is not always the desired outcome or the only measure of success.

Full Stop Australia’s Director of Clinical and Client Services Tara Hunter welcomed the move: “(This) will provide choice and better access for victim-survivors of sexual violence,” she said.

“(This is) a tool for victim-survivors to make initial contact with police following an incident of sexual violence, where they are able record the details and return to making a more formal statement if and when they are ready.”

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