Specialist sexual assault services provide support for people affected by recent sexual assault, current sexual abuse and past sexual abuse as well as their partners or family members. Sexual assault services provide support to people of all genders aged over 13 years affected by sexual assault. Supports available vary across each service due to capacity and resourcing. Service provisions can include 24/7 crisis response, intervention, counselling, information and resources, group therapy support sessions, referral and advocacy. Sexual assault services place the needs of victims and/or survivors at the centre of their practice.
In Western Australia there are specialised sexual assault support services for children, commonly referred to as Child Sexual Abuse Therapy Services. Services are for children who have experienced or at risk of sexual abuse, and parents and caregivers. Services aim to reduce the harmful effects of sexual abuse on children and their future.
There are a range of other services for people affected by sexual violence delivered by specialist and mainstream organisations available in Western Australia. These include:
Our key work is to advocate for sexual violence system development and reform. We develop mechanisms to ensure that the voices of victims and/or survivors are heard and inform the development of best practice, and the evolving sexual violence system. We work closely with sexual violence sector stakeholders as we further develop our role and work to best support improved safety, health and wellbeing outcomes for women.
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing does not deliver direct services.
Our work is informed by the evidence that sexual violence is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women; is a form of gender-based violence; is often a tactic of intimate partner violence; and that the majority of sexual assaults occur in an intimate partner relationship. We recognise gender inequality as primary driver/enabler of sexual violence and a barrier to safety and that best practice in community education, prevention and early intervention must be driven by a gendered analysis of sexual violence.
Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC)
The Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) is located in Perth and provides a range of free services to people in the metropolitan area affected by sexual violence. SARC also provide free telephone advice/support to those in non-metropolitan areas and have a 24-hour Emergency Line.
Phone: (08) 6458 1828 (24/7) – 1800 199 888 (Free call 24 Hours)
SACSS Goldfields
11 Porter Street
KALGOORLIE WA
SACSS Goldfields offers free and confidential services that include:
24-hour crisis intervention for people who have been sexually assaulted within the last 14 days
Counseling support is available for individuals who have experienced or been affected by past or recent sexual abuse and/or sexual assault. Support can include counseling, information, referral, advocacy, and education.
This service is available for women and men who have experienced sexual violence
Phone: (08) 9091 1922 (office hours)
24 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 688 922 (Free call)
Email: admin@grsi.org.au
Desert Blue Connect
PO Box 472
GERALDTON WA 6531
Desert Blue Connect offers free and confidential services that include:
24-hour crisis intervention for people who have been sexually assaulted within the last 14 days
Counselling support is available for individuals who have experienced or been affected by past or recent sexual abuse and/or sexual assault. Support can include counselling, information, referral, advocacy and education.
This service is available for women and men who have experienced sexual violence.
Phone: (08) 9964 2742 (office hours)
24 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 016 789 (Free call)
Email: info@desertblueconnect.org.au
Allambee Counselling
Level 1, Peel Health Hub
91 Allnutt St
MANDURAH WA 6210
Allambee Counselling is the local SASS service for the Peel region and offers specialised counselling services during business hours. Counselling support is available for individuals who have experienced or been affected by past or recent sexual abuse and/or sexual assault. Support can include counselling, information, referral, advocacy and education.
This service is available for women and men who have experienced sexual violence.
Phone: (08) 9535 8263 (office hours)
24 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line – SARC PERTH 1800 199 888 (Free call)
Email: help@allambee.org.au
Waratah
PO Box 644
BUNBURY WA 6231
Waratah Sexual Assault Service (SA) offers services to help children, young people and their families heal from the harmful psychological, emotional and social effects of sexual assault and abuse.
Phone: 9791 2884 (office hours)
24 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 017 303 (Free call)
Email: waratah@waratah.asn.au
Acacia Support Service Port Hedland
Lotteries House
Unit 8, 4 Rason Link
SOUTH HEDLAND WA 6722
Acacia Support Service Port Hedland offers support for females and males, 13 years and over, who have been affected by sexual violence in the previous 14 days. Acacia Support Service Port Hedland provides a 24-hour crisis response to Hedland including Police, Hedland Health Campus and Hedland Victim Support. Clients will receive support through the police interviewing, forensic examinations and court processes.
Phone: (08) 6164 0520 (office hours)
24 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line 0472 834 604
Email: cecilia.brownhill@relationshipswa.org.au
The National Redress Scheme is for people who have experienced institutional child sexual assault. Redress Support Services provided support to people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse. These services are funded by the Commonwealth Government.
Redress Support Services are for people who are contemplating making an application for the National Redress Scheme.
They provide free support and assistance to people throughout their engagement with the National Redress process, including:
Perth and country regions
Services are based in West Leederville, Fremantle, Gosnells, Joondalup, Kwinana, Mandurah, Midland, Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton and South Hedland.
Outreach is available to many areas including Katanning, Collie, Bunbury, Carnarvon, Meekatharra, Kalgoorlie, and Esperance.
Phone: 1300 364 277
Email via the website
176 Wittenoom Street
EAST PERTH WA 6004
Providing culturally appropriate supports for Indigenous Australians.
Phone: (08) 9218 9477 – 1800 469 371
Email via the website
Lotteries House Units 1, 2 and 3
7 Morse Court
Karratha WA 6714
Offices located across four offices in the Pilbara region. Support workers are based in Roebourne and South Hedland and provide outreach services to Newman and Karratha.
Phone: (08) 9185 5899
Email: admink@pcls.net.au
28 Barker Street
BROOME WA 6725
Provide services to Broome and Roebuck area comprising the communities of Beagle Bay, Djarindin/Lomobadina, Ardiyaloon (One Arm Point) and Bidyadanga, offering culturally-appropriate supports for Indigenous Australians.
Phone: FREECALL 1800 830 338
Email: reception@ksgac.com.au
Level 5/5 Mill Street
PERTH WA 6000
Knowmore is a free, independent legal service providing advice to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse about justice and redress. Knowmore can help people make an application for redress and advise on other legal options.
Phone: 1800 605 762
Email: info@knowmore.org.au
The Child Sexual Assault Therapy Services are funded by the Department of Communities, Department of Child Protection and Family Services and are provided across Western Australia.
These services provide healing, support, counselling and therapeutic responses to children, young people and their families affected by child sexual abuse. They also provide support to children and young people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and children and/or young people who are responsible for, or at risk of sexually abusing children. A variety of organisations operate these services including several Aboriginal culturally safe healing support services.
The current (as at May 2021) Child Sexual Assault Therapy Services for children and family include:
Anglicare WA
1300 114446
MacKillop Family Services – Indigenous Healing Services
(08) 9148 1600
Uniting WA
1300 663 2989
Yorgum Healing Services
1800 469 371
Parkerville
(08) 9235 7000
Carnarvon Family Support Services
(08) 9941 1251
Desert Blue Connect
(08) 9964 2742
Allambee Counselling
(08) 9535 8263
Yaandina Child and Family Counselling Service
(08) 9182 1172
Waratah
1800 017 303
Services for adults of child sexual assault:
Phoenix Support and Advocacy Service
(08) 9443 1910
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians and first peoples of Australia. We recognise the impacts of colonisation and dispossession and the contemporary disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing is committed to working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and men to end violence against their women and children in Western Australia.
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing acknowledges the strength and resilience of adults, children and young people who have experienced family and domestic violence. We pay respects to those who did not survive and acknowledge the families, friends and communities who have lost loved ones to this preventable and widespread issue. We are committed to ensuring responses to family and domestic violence are informed by lived experience.
The Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing recognises, welcomes and respects people of diverse gender, sex and sexuality. We are committed to greater inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people (LGBTIQ).
