Let Her Speak: Reform to allow sexual assault survivors to speak out
Victorian survivors of sexual assault will soon be able to tell their stories without needing a court order, after the state government announced reforms to current restrictions brought to light by the Let Her Speak campaign.
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The state government has announced reforms to allow survivors of sexual assault to speak out.
Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said ammendments allowing victim-survivors to tell their stories without needing a court order will be introduced to parliament this year.
The move follows a number of women speaking out against the gag-rules stopping them from sharing their experiences with the media, including through News Corp’s Let Her Speak campaign.
Ms Hennessy said the changes would be carried out in close consultation with victim-survivors, with round tables for their input to start next month.
“I have immense respect for victim-survivors who have the courage to speak out about their experiences and advocate for positive change. We hear you and we will take action,” she said.
“These laws provide an important protection to maintain the privacy of sexual offence victims and help ensure they are not exposed to additional distress – they were never intended to inhibit willing victim-survivors being able to speak out and share their stories.”
The Victorian Law Reform Commission recently recommended a raft of changes to the Judicial Proceedings Reports Act, after the government asked the body to review contempt of court laws.
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