Sexual assault services in Victoria at risk of losing a quarter of their funding

Services that help victims of sexual abuse are at risk of significant funding cuts, with jobs and programs facing the chopping block despite a spike in sex related crimes.

Uncertainty looms over funding for sexual assault survivor services in this year’s state budget Picture:iStock

Victoria’s sexual abuse help sector is bracing for major funding cuts, fearing a quarter of its workforce could be chopped despite fighting a sex crime “tsunami”.

It comes as Sexual Assault Services Victoria — which oversees 18 local specialist services for sexual assault survivors — fears its capacity to help victims recover could significantly reduce after no indication as to whether government funding would be renewed in the upcoming state budget.

Last year in Victoria there were 9530 victims who reported a sex-related offence to police — about 26 a day — according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

This was an 18.5 per cent increase on the previous year, with the most common offences being indecent assault and rape.

Girls aged under 18 filed the most reports for sexual offences.

The number of recorded sex crime offences and victim reports increased significantly in Victoria last year Picture: iStock

SASVic’s current funding deal expires on June 30 and with no word on whether it will see any money in the 2025/26 state budget, chief executive Kathleen Maltzahn said jobs and programs supporting victims were at risk of disappearing.

“We’re not able to plan ahead because we’re constantly worried about whether we’re going to have a team,” she said.

“Every year we’re having to cross our fingers and hope that there’s money for an essential service and the flow on is that we’re never confident that we’ll be able to keep our staff.

“There’s extraordinary instability when surely we should be increasing the support available to sexual assault survivors.

“If the sector loses a quarter of its funding it will mean longer waiting lists and it will definitely mean less responses to schools. Services will do their best as they always do but won’t have the staff to do the work.”

SASVic chief executive Kathleen Maltzahn says a quarter of the sector’s workforce is at risk amid funding uncertainty Picture: Supplied

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in five women have experienced sexual violence while 20 per cent of Australian women have been stalked.

Sex crimes are also the most likely to drop out of the court system, with fewer than five per cent of alleged rapes proven in court.

Likewise recorded offences of sexual offences against children nearly doubled in Victoria, with police recording about 77 a week last year.

One of the programs most at risk was SASVic’s work with schools where it steps in to help handle incidents involving students.

As part of its budget submissions SASVic asked for $600,000 to set up an emergency response program for sexual abuse involving students and teachers amid a “real increase” in schools crying out for help.

“What we see is principals, teachers and parents feel absolutely abandoned,” Ms Maltzahn said.

“We’re saying if we were to have that $600,000 we can put a plan together and start putting really good responses into schools reliably and quickly.

“There are good responses from our services already but when they have to put other survivors on hold that’s not fair. You shouldn’t have to choose between survivors in the community and those at schools.”

Last year the Allan government allocated $269m towards preventing family violence and supporting women’s safety, including $76m towards programs for victims of sexual abuse.

A state government spokeswoman said the safety of women and children was a priority.

“We will hand down the Budget next week which will be focused on making sure that every dollar of investment goes to where it matters most - supporting families and frontline services,” she said.

“All women and children in Victoria have the right to live safely, freely and without fear of violence — this is not negotiable.

“Work is progressing on the Strengthening Women’s Safety package to change laws, change culture, and deliver additional supports for victim survivors of family violence.”