Last weeks ABS data recorded sexual assaults in WA at the highest recorded number of victims in the thirty-two-year time series – with nearly half of all victims of sexual assault aged between 10 and 17 years. People who see this data will no doubt be seriously concerned.
Not having to think about today’s sexual violence and abuse epidemic is a privilege – and one that isn’t afforded to thousands of women and children in WA. Given the appalling prevalence, harm and cost of sexual violence and abuse in WA, the proportionate, sustained resourcing of specialist sexual assault support services to support victim-survivors is urgent.
Access to trauma-informed services can be life-changing and life-saving. Chronically underfunded and oversubscribed, sexual assault support services cannot meet demand or unmet need. Why – when the need for these services is so high – is the urgency of this being ignored?
If we truly wish to end sexual violence and abuse, and help victim- survivors to rebuild their lives, we must commit to an immediate funding uplift as an absolute bare minimum. Victim-survivors are already paying the price. The longer their safety and wellbeing is deprioritised, the more dire the situation will become.
Despite countless inquiries, reviews, and reports we have not seen the urgency, coordination, or leadership required to drive change. Too many reforms remain unfinished. No one is clearly accountable at either the State or Commonwealth level for ensuring that sexual violence is addressed across its full spectrum. This lack of leadership has left responses piecemeal, inconsistent, and reactive.
Recent cases in the media show the cost of this inaction. The horrifying child sexual abuse uncovered in early childhood education settings should have triggered an urgent, coordinated response. Instead, sexual violence experts were left out when governments considered next steps. This week’s revelations of sexual harassment and assault by driving instructors against mostly young women are being met with similar proposed piecemeal measures including CCTV for evidence collection, registers to track offenders, reportable conduct schemes, and stronger complaints mechanisms.
These are important measures, but they are being designed in siloes. Each sector is grappling with sexual violence as if it were an isolated problem, rather than part of a much broader, systemic crisis. Every step we take to address sexual violence matters but the absence of a comprehensive, joined-up approach means we are condemned to deal with sexual violence one public scandal at a time.
We know what works. What is missing is the leadership and investment to act. Governments must fully commit to prevention, early intervention, and specialist support for victim-survivors and their families. Crucially, they must engage with the specialist sexual violence sector who bring the evidence and experience.
That is why we are calling for a dedicated portfolio for Sexual Violence at the state level. Ministerial leadership is essential if this issue is to receive the visibility, accountability, and urgency it deserves. Without it, sexual violence will continue to be treated as a series of disconnected crises, rather than the systemic problem it is.
We cannot look away. Preventing sexual violence is possible and it is urgent.
