TODAY’S Victorian budget announcement of a multi-million dollar centre to support victims of sexual assault and child abuse is a great positive for this community.
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The new centre will see police from sexual offences and child abuse investigation units, Department of Human Services child protection workers and Loddon Campaspe Centre Against Sexual Assault staff working together under one roof to help victims.
It’s fantastic that such a united and supportive approach will be taken in this community to assist people forced into such harrowing ordeals.
Clearly, a four-year pilot program in Mildura and Frankston to test the value of these centres has achieved positive results and the state government should be congratulated for now taking the initiative to other regional centres.
Sexual assault and child abuse victims need and deserve the upmost care and having all services in the one centre to help them is a great step forward.
A child protection inquiry panel visited the Mildura and Frankston centres earlier this year and found the facilities achieving good results in several areas.
The centres eradicated barriers between police and child protection workers, led to an increase in the number of children disclosing abuse and led to more convictions of offenders.
Importantly, the work of centres also resulted in more non-offending family members believing and supporting an abused child and the value of that cannot be underestimated.
This centre will arrive at a time when welfare agencies are reporting disturbing rises in reported cases of sexual assault and child abuse.
It’s hard to accept that there are people in our community capable of such behaviour. Thankfully, the evidence is clear the establishment of this centre will at least give their victims the best possible support and chance at justice and that’s a great thing.
